A Year at The World Academy
by Nagareboshi-Aitoshuu
Summary: An oblivious otaku earns herself a scholarship to spend a year overseas at the prestigious World Academy!She's had bad experiences with going into seemingly-perfect schools in the past.Can the World Academy change her mind?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** I DO NOT OWN Hetalia: Axis Powers, Hidekaz Himaruya does. I only own this fanfiction.

**NOTE:** Both the Hetalia characters' (if applicable) human and country names will be used.

_A Year at the World Academy…_

Chapter 1:

It was now my first day of my sophomore year of high school and I was the lucky person to spend that year at the 'prestigious international school' World Academy W, a prissy school for international rich kids. However, the school was offering a scholarship last year, and I was _DESPERATE _to leave the U.S. of A for a year. To apply for the scholarship, of course, a lot of paperwork awaited me. Not only did I have to give a crap load of stuff, (copy of birth certificate, social security number, physical exam results, and all that good stuff…) but I had to write a dumbass essay on why I wanted this. Really, that is a retarded question if you think about it: do you think that I'd be applying if I didn't want to go? Oh well, but, unlike everyone else, I didn't bore the headmaster with all of the 'diversity and opportunity' crap. I know what you're thinking: "How the heck did this retard get in?" Well, dumb luck, I guess?

Like all prissy rich kid schools, the place was _HUGE, _I mean, _**HUGE**_. Not only did its library occupy an ENTIRE floor, but the dorms took up almost more than half of the campus!

Looking around, my face fell into despair, "I could REALLY get lost in a place like this…"

A bulletin board was set up in the main lobby, all of the sophomore students names were organized into individual sections: 2-A, 2-B, 2-C, and 2-D. Looking down the first two, I couldn't pronounce some of the last names. Luckily, my name was scribbled at the bottom of the 2-C list, almost like at my last school. They forgot about me on my first day: tsk, tsk, tsk…

"Hey! You must be new here!," a girly-looking guy with brown hair and blue eyes came running up to me, being an otaku, I could pretty much distinguish between girly-looking guys and manly-looking girls.

Sighing, I recited, "Yeah, I'm new, got a problem?"

He looked puzzled, "What?"

"Never mind.," I said. "So, where's the 2-C homeroom?"

"That's why I came to get you.," the guy explained. "It's just down this hallway, up the stairs-"

"O.K., can we just go?," I interrupted, letting him know that I wasn't in the mood for any crap this morning.

Along the way there, he explained that his name was Toris, and a bunch of crap about the school. Yeah, been there, done that, I drowned out his voice after he told me his name. The 2-C homeroom was located on the third floor, quite a trek from the lobby down below. Walking in through the door, a group of people ran up to me.

"Taiwan, is that you?"

"I didn't know that you'd be in my homeroom!"

"Guys, give her some air."

Pissed off already, I yelled, _"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"_

The annoying group of my classmates backed away.

"First: I'm NOT Taiwan, for your information. Second: Who the hell are you people?," I screamed back at them.

"She's not Taiwan?"

"Aww…I thought that Mei-chan would be in my homeroom this year…"

"Everyone!," Toris yelled, getting the attention of the class.

All eyes were directed at me, and I felt uncomfortable.

"This is the scholarship student:…," Toris began. "Wait, what's your name?"

"Jackie is my nickname, but that'll be fine.," I said.

"Oh, O.K. This is Jackie, she'll only be here for her sophomore year, as part of the scholarship she received. So, make this year count for her before she has to go-," Toris was interrupted.

"Where's she from?"

"She's Asian, right?"

"I'm Asian-American, and I'll say that much.," I my voice broke through the screaming classmates.

"Ohhhhhh…"

"Well, I guess you should just hang around until the teacher gets here.," Toris said.

"Sure.," I replied, it seems that he's the most sane of these people.

"Hi!," a blonde guy with glasses came running my way. "Let me be the first to say: Welcome to-"

"Alfred, don't scare her, she probably already thinks that you're an idiot.," another blonde, but with thick eyebrows, came up behind Alfred.

"Sorry.," Alfred apologized. "As Arthur said a few moments ago, I'm Alfred."

"Yeaaahhh.," one of my eyebrows raised in confusion. "I-a…gotta go."

With that said, I dashed out the door. Outside, I could hear Arthur screaming at Alfred like a madman, I was starting to regret having come here. Oh, and WHY the scholarship allows me to stay for a year? Well, I'm not paying for living expenses, food, tuition, or anything, do you think that a school like this would want to just throw a couple thousand dollars for me? I think not. I stood outside for another five minutes until the homeroom teacher came in. After the class settled down, Toris opened the door and signaled me to come in, AGAIN.

"Well, this is the new student-," the teacher began.

"We know, Toris already did the honors of exposing her to this insane class.," Arthur spoke up.

"O.K.," the teacher seemed annoyed at Arthur. "Well, she can go sit at that empty desk in the back."

Lovely, isolation is just what I needed on my first day in a new school. Sitting at the lone desk in the back, the teacher started taking attendance. Looking around, no one even gave a second glance at me. This sucked, the situation was almost identical to when I started at my old school.

"Jacqueline-," the teacher called.

"Here!," I said from the back of the classroom, the kids closest to me looked behind them to look at me.

The redhead guy to my right seemed very friendly, so I waved at him. The blonde to my left signaled the redhead to not make a scene and nodded in my direction. The shorter kid with jet black hair that sat in front of me just stared for a moment, and then turned his attention to the teacher. Some welcome.

Thank GOD for a magical thing called: lunch! On the first day of school, classes were a little delayed, so lunch came sooner than it usually would. Toris showed me where the cafeteria was, thank God, since everyone was rushing to just see their friends that they didn't have the time to help the new kid. We sat down at an empty table while everyone divided into their little cliques. This is how I saw it: the blondes stuck with other blondes, the Asians stuck with other Asians, and the weirdos stuck with other weirdos. As for me, I was stuck with Toris for now.

"So, where are you from?," he said to stimulate the conversation.

"I'm from New York.," I replied.

"Ah, 'The City that Never Sleeps,' no?," Toris replied.

"That name couldn't be any more accurate.," I smiled. "So, do they provide lunches here too?"

"Yeah, but you have to get your parents' permission first.," Toris said.

"Oh.," my face fell. "And let me guess: you have to pay-"

"No.," Toris continued.

"Really?," my face lit up, I could tell that there were stars in my eyes.

"Yeah.," Toris replied, embarrassed. "You could go to the office after your classes are done and mail the paperwork."

"Thanks!," I smiled. "Now I don't have to always make some piece-of-crap sandwich every morning. Back at my school, they made me pay $1.50 for their crap."

"Well, that sucks.," he said.

"Heeeelllo!," Alfred made a scene entering the cafeteria, with about three more blondes behind him.

"God, kill me now.," I sighed.

Alfred made his way over to the deserted table, "Hi, Jackie, I can call you Jackie, right?"

"Jackie, Jack, Jacqueline, whatever.," I replied with my head on the table. "Now what do you want?"

"I just want to talk to you.," Alfred sat down at one of the many seats at the table. "So, you're from America, right?"

"Yeah, New York.," I explained.

He started humming "New York, New York" and I giggled.

"Um, hi, I'm Matthew.," a guy that looked like a quiet version of Alfred said.

"Hi.," I said.

"He's Canadian.," Alfred said.

"Oooohhh, is it true that in Canada that people say 'eh' after their sentences?," I asked Matthew.

"Um, not really.," he said. "It's probably just a misunderstanding."

"These two…," Alfred said, pointing to Arthur and this other blonde guy that were sending death glares to each other. "…are Arthur and Francis."

"Hola.," I said.

"Ah, ella habla español.," this tan guy with brown hair walked over to the table, closely followed by a group of possible fangirls.

"Sí, yo tengo una clase en New York.," I replied, trying to cough out any accurate Spanish I knew.

"Bon jour.," Francis interrupted my conversation with the Spanish guy.

"What do you want?," I glared, this guy was most likely jerk, I could tell.

"Nothing, you just-," Francis continued.

"If it's pickup lines you're planning on, get lost.," I retorted, a couple 'Ooohhh!'s came from the growing crowd.

"Well, please excuse this idiot, he obviously doesn't have a clue on how to address a lady.," Arthur said, he was obviously English from his prissy accent.

"Um, I'd like to stay, but I have to go.," I stood up, getting my heavy blue book bag and left the cafeteria, ignoring the pleas.

Lunch at World Academy W lasted for an hour, which was awesome. In addition, we were allowed to leave campus to get our meal, as long as we came back, of course. A block away from the campus was a park, so I finished my grilled cheese sandwich there.

"Heello!," the redhead from homeroom came up to me, followed by his blonde and Asian-looking friends. "I'm Feliciano! Who're you?"

"Jackie.," I replied.

"Hey, Kiku! Is she a relative of yours?," Feliciano asked the Asian kid.

"No.," Kiku replied. "But, she looks a lot like Mei."

"Who's that?," I asked.

"Oh, she's Kiku's old girlfriend-," Feliciano explained.

"No, she isn't.," Kiku said, trying not to look angry.

"Excuse Feliciano's behavior, I'm Ludwig.," the tall blonde guy with blue eyes and glasses introduced himself.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I-," I tried to pry my way out of the conversation.

"Lunch isn't over for another half hour.," Feliciano said. "You don't like us?"

Oh great, now I felt guilty, "No! I-"

"Where do you have to go? Is it urgent?," Kiku asked.

"You know, it can wait.," I said. "So,-"

"Do you like pasta?," Feliciano enthusiastically asked me.

"Yeah, I love pasta!-," I replied, but was crushed by Feliciano's lethal hug. "Heeeelllp!"

Ludwig and Kiku had to pry me from Feliciano.

"I can tell that we're going to be friends, no?," Feliciano smiled.

"Um, yeah! Sure!," I was unsure of what to say, but I didn't want to be so cold-hearted and say no to him.

A bell went off in the distance from the campus, probably reminding us students that there are afternoon classes.

I stood up and walked toward the campus while waving good-bye to Ludwig, Feliciano, and Kiku, "See you later!"

The sunlight that burned the top of my head was starting to fade away with the gathering white clouds as I ran inside the huge building again.

The remaining afternoon classes went so smoothly, I couldn't believe my luck! After my Algebra II/Trigonometry class was over, I realized that everyone else was heading off to another class, rather than running off to their dorms. I asked my teacher about where everyone was running off to. She explained that nearly everyone was involved in one sort of club or afterschool thing, and suggested that I go about and find something to join, and I so did.

With the terrible sense of direction I have, I had no trouble in finding all of the possible clubs. At random, I found the cooking, sorcery, creative writing, art, and sports clubs without even trying. Towards the end of my search, I miraculously made it back to the lobby to hear some soft music coming from another room. Two grand double-doors led me to the huge school theater/auditorium, where the orchestra and drama club were rehearsing.

For a moment, I thought that my heart skipped a beat: music and theater in school? This was my freaking dream. I ran down the aisle to meet with the maestro commanding the orchestra. He was quite tall like Ludwig, wore glasses, and had brown hair.

"Um, excuse me?," I tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around, "I haven't seen you around before, who are you?"

"I was wondering if I could join the orchestra.," I said.

"A new recruit, Roderich?," a lazy-looking guy with brown, messy hair and greenish-blue eyes came down from the stage.

"Yes, Heracles, but she wants to join the orchestra, not that cast.," Roderich said.

"Oh? But we're still trying to find our lead female role.," Heracles replied. "What does she play?"

"I play piano-," I started.

"Sorry, there's no piano part for this particular production.," Roderich explained.

"I also play violin-," I continued.

"Perfect, here's your part.," Roderich shoved a packet of music in my face.

Looking at the sheet music, I screamed.

"Hmph, too hard?," Roderich scoffed.

"You didn't tell me that we were doing "The Phantom of the Opera!"," I could tell that my eyes were sparkling as my blood rushed, really, I was getting really giddy and silly since I _**ADORE**_ The Phantom of the Freaking Opera!

"Then can you play the notorious solo at the cemetery? No one here dares to look at it.," Roderich added.

"Um, I'm not too sure if-," I said.

"Whatever, we can just cut that out of the score-," Roderich said.

"No! We're not cutting anything out of the musical.," Heracles said.

"Not even the part where Phantom and Christine ki-," I stared at him.

"No.," he replied.

Suddenly, I felt insecure.

"Hey! Is that the new kid?," a student with a mask on, most likely the one playing as the Phantom, jumped down from the stage. "Hm, maybe she could play Christine?"

"No!," I nearly yelled. "Sorry, but I was just wanting to join the orchestra."

"Ah, it's O.K.," Heracles said. "We'll find a girl, EVENTUALLY, worthy of the role…"

I left the theater feeling guilty, not helping out the drama guys. Roderich said to look over my part for now since I _just_ joined orchestra. Well, I guess that it'll be nice, my other school didn't have an orchestra. It had a band, but there's a difference between the two!

After I left the theater and headed outside, I could feel the slight drizzle intensifying as the number of raindrops increased.

"Aw, crap!," I exclaimed, running to the sanctity of the dorms.

Once inside the main building that led to the dorms, I walked up to the receptionist for my room key and number. She calmly typed something into her computer and then slid a key over to me. The room number was also engraved on the key: 379. 3, 7, and 9 are my favorite numbers, but my room number meant that I would have to trek a huge flight of stairs to the third floor to my room. Lovely…

As I opened the door, I was astounded at how freaking classy the room was, I mean, this is just a dorm room, not an apartment! The place even came with a small kitchen and bathroom! I would have to run downstairs, though, for laundry. Setting my stuff down, I looked around to notice that the school had already delivered my stuff here, that was nice of them. In one of the bags, I grabbed the pocky that I snuck onto the airplane. MWAHAHAHA…

I have to admit, this place just seemed like a dream, I could get used to this…

I mean, the students are a little weird, but I'm even weirder. MWAHAHA…

_To be continued…_

**Note to AnonymousM:** Yes, I picked "The Phantom of the Opera." Why? This is a high-class, prissy rich kid school, remember? They could send their students to the moon for all I care. XD


	2. Chapter 2

_A Year at the World Academy…_

Chapter 2:

The next morning, I woke up extra early to go campus sight-seeing. The night before, I had already organized my clothes in the small closet the school provided. I quickly changing into my uniform, grabbed my heavy blue book bag, then ran out the door. Before running off, I remembered to lock my door, God forbid Francis tries anything.

On my way down, I caught sight of a girl that looked quite a lot like me, but she didn't wear glasses, and my hair was probably a little darker or something.

"Oh, hi! You must be new here!," my mystery twin greeted.

"Hey, you wouldn't have to be Taiwan, right?," I asked.

"How did you know?," she asked me, surprised that I knew her name.

"Everyone in 2-C freaked out when I went in the classroom, thinking that I was you.," I explained.

"My, I'm sorry.,," Taiwan apologized.

"It's nothing Taiwan.," I replied.

"Just call me Mei, my older brother and everyone else calls me that anyway.," Mei replied.

"You have a brother? Who?," I asked, curious.

"Oh, he's in 2-B, though. You'll know it's him when you see a guy in a ponytail and a panda.," she said, before running off. "Later!"

Nice, I just found a SANE person around here, besides Toris, of course.

---

Classes weren't scheduled to start for at least another hour and a half, which gave me plenty of time to wander around. The first thing that caught my eye was a horse stable, quite unusual. I slowly approached it and found Toris and a blonde kid there. Apparently, they like getting up at 7:00 A.M. to tend to the horses here.

"Um, hi?," I called out to the two of them.

The blonde kid was the first to react, "Hey! What're you doing here?!?"

"Calm down, Feliks, she's the scholarship student.," Toris explained.

"Oh, I'm apologize.," Feliks said.

"It's fine.," I said. "Say, so the school owns a bunch of horses too?"

"Yeah, they're pretty lenient on animals in school.," Feliks explained.

"Oh, that's cool.," I replied.

"For one, Yao Wang is allowed to bring that panda of his around.," Toris said. "Matthew Williams is sometimes seen with his polar bear: Kuma-something-"

"Wait: did you just say a POLAR BEAR?!?," my eyes widened.

"Oh, it's quite small, though.," he replied. "There aren't many huge animals that wander around."

"Except for America's whale.," Feliks pointed out.

"Hm, you mean Alfred?," I asked.

"Yeah, most students here have both their country and human names.," Feliks explained. "Mine is Poland and Toris' is Lithuania. We save our human names for more casual conversations, though.

"O.K., 'cause I was a bit lost when you mentioned a whale-WAIT! A _WHALE?!??!_," I was starting to freak out.

"Don't worry, it lives in a swimming pool, somewhere…," Feliks replied.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, I should get going-," I wanted to leave the horrible-smelling stable so badly.

"Hey! Why don't we take you for a quick ride?," Feliks pointed to one of the horses, probably his.

"Uhhhhhhh…….."

---

Unfortunately, I found myself on one of the horses and screaming as Feliks rode it through the huge obstacle course with confidence.

"What? You never rode a horse before?," he asked me.

"Not really!," I had to scream over to the deafening wind.

There was one more jump that we had to pull off, THANK GOD. The horse leaped into the air and landed gracefully, unfortunately catapulting me into the air.

"!!!!!," I screamed like I had never screamed before.

Expecting the cold welcome of the pavement, I felt as if I had stopped falling in midair. Oh my gosh! I'm not dead?!? Or, am I?!? I felt two pairs of arms supporting my weight, keeping me from making contact with the concrete. Slowly opening my eyes, it was Feliciano's two friends from yesterday.

"Wha-?!?," I was creeped out, relieved, and clueless at the same time. "Can you put me down?!?"

"S-Sorry.," the two let me down, and I was more than happy to feel the concrete that supported me underneath my feet.

"Thank you, by the way.," I turned to the two. "So, what brings you two out here?"

"Oh my, are you alright?," Feliciano came from behind Ludwig.

"I'm fine.," I replied.

"I decided to come help Ludwig and Kiku walk their dogs.," Feliciano said, gesturing to the three that Ludwig had on a leash and the one that quietly followed Kiku. "But they all scare me!"

"They can't be that bad-," I tried to reassure him, but I overheard Toris and Feliks yelling.

"Oh my gosh! Are you O.K.?!?," Toris ran up to me. "You didn't crack your head in half or-?"

"N-No!," I replied.

"I'm SO sorry about what happened, I guess we were lucky that these three were here at the right time.," Feliks apologized.

"It's fine! Really!," I wanted to reassure that there weren't any hard feelings between us. "Say, has anyone seen my glasses?"

"Here.," Toris took them out and put them on for me. "You asked me to keep an eye on these."

"Thanks.," I fixed them a little, then glanced at my watch. "Oh, crap! First period starts in 20 minutes! Later!"

I dashed off, leaving the five of them behind. Ugh, some friend I am…

---

Double Algebra II/Trigonometry dragged _FOREVER…_!!! I was beyond overjoyed to know that I had a free period right before lunch! Leaving the classroom, I sighed in relief. Heading toward the lobby, I checked the directory for somewhere that I could hang out. Hm…

_Music Room #3: OPEN ACCESS TO STUDENTS _

A music room! Perfect! Running up one flight of stairs to the second floor, I reached the Music Room in a matter of a minute or a minute and a half. Opening the door, I looked around and found a grand piano in there. This was PERFECT to spend a free period, I just felt like cuing in the "Hallelujah Chorus," like I just had an epiphany.

I ran up to the piano and dropped my stuff. The keys were open and exposed, but also were a bit dusty. How could they NOT play this beautiful thing?!? My fingers immediately started playing "The Phantom of the Opera," one of my obvious favorites. I started humming to the melody and soon found myself singing it:

_In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came…_

_That voice that calls to me, and speaks my name…_

_The Phantom of the Opera is there…_

_Inside my mind…_

Once I had gotten to the second verse, my heart stopped when I heard a male voice sing Phantom's lyrics…

"_Sing once again with me, our strange duet…_

_My power over you, grows stronger yet…_

_And though you turn from me, to glance behind…_

_The Phantom of the Opera is here…_

"What the hell?!?," I stopped playing. "Who's there?!?"

I looked around and found Heracles, Roderich, and the masked student from yesterday.

"Well, we didn't expect seeing you again so soon…," Roderich turned his attention back to the score of music he had.

"My, maybe you should've joined drama…," Heracles said. "You could probably play as one of the chorus girls or something…"

My left eye twitched a little when I heard him say 'chorus girl.' (Phantom of the Opera joke) Now I must know how Christine Daae felt…

"She was O.K., but better than the other people that came to audition.," the masked kid said.

"Thanks, but I can't sing for my life.," I proudly declared.

"So, what brings you here?," Heracles asked.

"It's my free period and I found this place in the directory, thinking that I could probably hang out here for a while.," I explained. "Do you mind?"

"No, besides, we were pretty bored before you came in.," Heracles said.

"What?!? So you didn't do anything?!? Seeing me just barge in?!?," I was embarrassed.

"It's fine, you didn't disturb us or anything.," Heracles replied.

For the rest of the period, we didn't talk a lot, but at least I was allowed to practice the piano for a while…

---

The bell for lunch rang loud and clear throughout the building at 12 noon. Quickly getting my stuff together, I ran out of the room after shortly saying goodbye to the three that oh-so kindly let me stay.

Once in the cafeteria, I found a small empty table in the back. Seeing how I prefer isolation, I sat there. I was finishing my lunch when a really tall student and two girls approached the table. The guy was the tallest of the three, the taller girl had short hair (and personally, definitely was NOT flat, if you get what I mean), and the last girl had a bow in her hair.

"Hi, you're the new student here.," the tall guy greeted. "I'm Ivan and these are my two sisters: Ukraine and Natalia."

"Um, hi!," I replied.

The three sat at the really small table, which proved to be quite uncomfortable.

"So, how do you like the World Academy so far?," Ukraine asked.

"It's really nice, but also really big, in fact, I got lost just getting here yesterday.," I said.

"Oh, my!," Ukraine exclaimed. "Have you met anybody?"

"Friends?-," I asked.

"No, someone you _like._," Natalia smiled.

"Oh, everyone seems quite nice.," I replied.

"No, we mean, like _like._," Natalia clarified what she had meant.

"N-No!," I replied. "Sorry."

"It's fine.," Ukraine smiled.

"Do you already have a boyfriend or something?," Natalia asked.

"No, I've been single all my life-," I started to reply, but the two stared at me like I had three heads.

"Sorry, but nothing has happened this year, right, Ivan?," Natalia asked her brother, she seemed quite close to him…

"Yes.," he replied, almost nervous.

"Last year, it seemed like love was in the air!~," Ukraine said.

"Oh, God.," I was getting scared…

"But everyone here apparently can't commit to a relationship, isn't that so, Ivan?," Natalia asked her brother again.

"Yes, Natalia. But everyone probably wanted to distance themselves for their own reasons. Perhaps they didn't want to rush things or get too close.," Ivan replied to his sister, sounding like he was getting more nervous every second he was with her.

"Um, perhaps we should go.," Ukraine shyly said.

"Of course, see you later, new kid.," Natalia said goodbye, bringing her brother with her and her sister following close behind.

Hm, they seem quite nice, but a little weird. Oh well…

"Nihao (hello)!," a guy with a ponytail greeted me.

"Oh, um hi!," I replied, a little shocked. "You're Yao Wang, Taiwan's older brother, right?"

"Yes! How did you know?," he sat down opposite from me at the table.

"I met your sister today.," I explained. "By the way, is that a _**PANDA?!?**_

"Oh, you've noticed?," Yao took out a small panda from the basket he wore on his back.

"Ahhh, it's so CUTE!," I almost fangirl-screamed.

"Pandas are so cute, no? ~aru.," Yao asked.

"I know, right?," I replied.

"So, by the way, why was Russia talking to you a few minutes ago?," Yao asked me, almost in a whisper.

"You mean Ivan?," I asked.

"Yeah! He scares me! Did he ask you to-," Yao continued.

"What? He didn't really talk to me, his sisters Natalia and Ukraine did.," I explained.

"Oh, good. EVERYONE is scared of him, you know?(~aru)," Yao asked me.

"Really? He seems O.K.-," I insisted.

"No! No he isn't! Trust me, I know.(~aru)," Yao said.

"O.K.," I said, quite unsure of myself.

"Just don't hang out with him a lot, O.K.? Or else, oh gosh, who knows what he'll do!(~aru)," Yao nearly slammed his head on the table.

I felt sorry for him.

Patting the top of his head, I said, "Now, he can't be that bad…"

"No! He is! It's already bad enough that everyone messes with me, but he's the worst!(~aru)," Yao continued ranting.

"Ummmm, yeah, you're getting a little loud…," I whispered.

He finally lifted his head, "I'm sorry, I'm only looking out for you, since you're new here.(~aru)"

"Um, thanks, I'll be careful.," I tried to reassure him.

"Well," he stood up. "I guess I'll see you later?(~aru)"

"Sure!," I waved good-bye.

Geez, what the hell is wrong with this guy? I mean, he's nice and all, but he seems to act like an older brother to everyone…

"Hi, Jackie!," Toris FINALLY showed up, of course with Feliks.

"Hey! Where were you?," I asked him, and noticed the two other people that followed him. "Who are your friends?"

"Oh, you haven't told her about us?," this tall guy with blonde hair and glasses, but apparently wasn't America, said.

"U-Um, h-hi! I'm Latvia.," the REALLY short kid with pretty messy brown hair introduced himself.

Really! He looked like someone who should be in middle school, rather than a high school student.

"What's up?," I greeted.

The tall America look-alike introduced himself, "I'm Estonia, or Eduard."

"Hi.," I gave a small wave and the four of them had to squeeze into the small table I was at. "You, know, maybe there's another table."

"No, we're fine.," Toris said. "What are you doing after school?"

"Orchestra practice.," I simply said.

"Hey, do you know when the play will premiere this year?," Eduard asked.

"Hm, they haven't told me, but they're still casting.," I replied.

"Oh, so it's most likely an end-of-the-year thing, right?," he further questioned.

"Most likely.," I said.

"The drama club is putting on "The Phantom of the Opera" this year, right?," Latvia timidly asked.

"Yep!"

"Wow, that'll be hard…," he said.

"You bet it'll be hard! Not only is the music hard, but trying singing!," I ranted.

"Maybe you should try singing.," Feliks said.

"N-n-no.," I stuttered. "I can't sing."

"Oh well-"

The bell that marked the end of lunch then echoed throughout the noisy cafeteria as students hastily ran off to their next classes.

---

I'll spare you the boredom of Chemistry class and skip right to orchestra practice! Roderich decided to run around, advertising the production to get more people for orchestra. So far, it was just me and this girl named Seychelles, who played the flute.

"Hi!," I greeted the flutist.

"Hey! You're the new student!," she immediately pointed out.

"Y-Yeah, that's me.," I nervously replied.

"So, what do you think of the school?," she asked.

"It's fine, I like it.," I tried to sound cheerful.

"Have you found any guy that you like yet?," Seychelles whispered.

Here we go AGAIN with that question!

"No, I'm single and damn happy-," I was starting to say.

"Hmph, you say that now, but when you-," Seychelles grinned.

"Yeah, VERY unlikely. I'm more likely to get hit with a meteorite than I am to get a boyfriend.," I said. "Why? Do _you _have a crush or something?"

Seychelles stepped back a bit, looking quite embarrassed.

"Um, you see, well, there's this guy-," she went on rambling.

"Aw, who's the lucky guy?," I playfully shoved her.

"Francis Bonnefoy.," she whispered ever so quietly so that only I could hear it.

"WHA-?!?," I was about to scream when she signaled me to quiet down.

"Please don't tell anyone, um, what's your name?," Seychelles pleaded.

"My name's Jackie, and don't worry, your secret's safe with me.," I reassured her. "At least you've got somebody, I don't"

"You'll find someone-," she tried to convince me that I actually had a shot at this evil, crazy thing called 'love.'

"Nah, it's just not me when I picture myself with a boyfriend.," I smiled.

For the whole rehearsal, we just talked, since Roderich was gone to whole time.

---

This afternoon, God decided not to literally rain on my parade today! The sun was starting to come out again in such a short time, pretty cool. I took my time, making it back to my dorm room when I ran into Feliciano, Ludwig, and Kiku again.

"Hi!," I greeted as I walked past them.

Feliciano wanted another hug, but Ludwig and Kiku wouldn't want a repeat of yesterday.

"What's up?," I asked the three.

"Well, they're going to start the beginning of the year physical exams.," Ludwig brought up.

"Aw…but I'm terrible at running…," Feliciano whined.

"No, I'm terrible at running, YOU could probably beat me.," I insisted.

"They're not until next Monday, so you've got this whole week to train.," Kiku said.

"Nice! Hey, does this school have a dojang?," I asked.

"A what?!?," Ludwig asked.

"Um, it's a training hall for Tae Kwon Do, a Korean martial art.," I explained.

"Then you should probably ask Im Yong Soo (South Korea) tomorrow.," Kiku suggested. "He probably would know where one is."

"Thanks, so, I guess I'll see you in homeroom tomorrow?," I started walking again.

"Not unless we see you first!," Feliciano called, being restricted from giving me a farewell hug.

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3

_A Year at the World Academy…_

Chapter 3:

Sparing you the boredom of my Wednesday Chemistry class, let's fast forward to when all my classes are done. It was now about 3:00 in the afternoon when I was running around trying to find the martial arts training hall that I found in the directory. Once I found it, I had to run into the bathroom nearby to put on my uniform and belt. Stepping into the training hall, I had to leave my shoes, socks, and school uniform outside.

Looking around, the place seemed really clean and neat, as I expected. Seriously, you wouldn't want to be running around kicking stuff in a dump. No one else seemed to be here, either.

"Hello?," my voice echoed off of the training hall's walls. "Hm…"

"Oh, what do we have here?," someone said, their voice sounded close, like they were right behind me…

"What the-?!?," I was too slow to react when I found myself being violated…(girls, you know what I'm talking about)

I struck the jerk who groped me in his neck and roundhouse kicked him in the stomach, keeping my arms crossed over my chest.

"Whoa! You're quite violent!," this guy looked like the Im Yong Soo person that Kiku was talking about.

"Hmph, so, who are you?," I said, my voice still tense and hostile.

"You remind me a lot of my two brothers Yao and Kiku, you know?," this kid was starting to get on my nerves…

"You're Im Yong Soo, right?," I presumed.

"Yeah! Yao and Kiku have already told you all about me, right?," he seemed pretty full of himself…

"No, just your name, now do you mind? I really need to train.," I said, returning to the new form my master showed me before I left.

"Fix your stance.," Im Yong Soo said, hey! I finally noticed that he had a Tae Kwon Do uniform on too…

"Oh, thanks.," I said, taking his advice. "So are you a master or something?"

"Yep!," he proudly exclaimed.

That was pretty hard for me to accept, this guy was really annoying…

---

Well, turns out that Yao and Kiku's brother proved to be a good sparring partner, despite his annoying personality. Seriously, he almost beat me if I didn't execute that last back kick to earn myself 2 points. Yes, we were _sparring _(not fighting, there's a difference!) without any gear on, that _hurts_…

"You're quite the fighter!," he said.

"Thanks, I get that a lot.," I added.

"Say, what homeroom are you in, I haven't seen you before…," Im Yong Soo asked.

"2-C," I replied.

"Oh, I'm in 2-B, turns out that they separated my brothers and I this year. Hm, I guess that's because of what happened during the-," he continued.

"Um, I don't want to know!," I seriously didn't…

"So, see you tomorrow?," he said, turning to leave.

"Um, I guess, or whenever. I've got orchestra practice Tuesday and Thursday, so most likely Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I'll see you. But yet again, that depends on my schedule…," I replied.

"O.K., I'm usually here after school, if you ever find yourself looking for me.," and after that, he left.

"What a weirdo…," I said, grabbing my shoes and uniform.

---

Fast forward to the physical exams! (Lazy, no? But do you REALLY want in on the wonders of chemistry and algebra?) The sun was high in the sky and gym was right after lunch. Really, gym right after lunch is probably one of the worst ideas in the world, considering that with all the running and stuff after eating is just a recipe for some kid to throw up during class.

Most of the first few tests, like jumping over stuff and running through short courses, turned out a lot better than I thought it would be. Right before the last running portion, we had to do as many push-ups. Personally, I could've gone up to 50 if the gym teacher hadn't cut me off. He said that we had to move on, since most kids did three to five push-ups maximum, everyone just stared when it was only me and Ludwig that kept going.

Once we finally were almost done, my section and I made our way to the HUGE track field a little farther away. So far, this is how we were lined up: I was on the most inner track, to my right, Feliciano, then Kiku, Ludwig, Alfred, Arthur, and Francis. I felt kind of nervous, looking into the crowd of students that came to cheer their friends on, noticing that Toris wasn't here yet with Eduard, Feliks, or Raivis (Latvia). He told me that they'd be there as soon as their classes were done, but they could most likely be running a little late.

"Ready?!? Get set!!!...," our teacher proclaimed. "GO!!!"

Along with nearly everyone else, (excluding Ludwig) I started at a steady pace, since I didn't want to run out of breath so quickly. I was almost exceeding the crowd when I noticed that Feliciano was considerably WAY FAR behind. Feeling sorry, I purposely slowed down to talk to him.

"What's the matter?!? If you don't hurry up, you'll fail the exam!," I said to him.

"I-I c-can't Jackie…," Feliciano whined. "I'm too tired!"

"Um, we'll go out to pasta if you pass!"

"I'd love to, but I can't run anymore!!!"

Personally, I didn't want this close acquaintance of mine to fail, so I caught sight of Arthur gaining on Feliciano and thought up of something quick.

"Watch out! It's the English army, right behind you!," I yelled in Feliciano's ear.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEE!!!! Germany, save me!!!!!," he cried, running off at a speed that rivaled the speed of light.

"H-Hey, wait up!," I called after him, picking up the pace.

He was continuing to run, even passing Ludwig, this obviously surprised him. I caught up to Italy (Feliciano, yeah, judging from his name, you could probably guess which country he represents) soon enough, but I felt my legs were about to give out from running too fast.

"H-Hey, J-Jackie, is it me or are there a bunch of bees behind you?," Feliciano gasped for air, but was still able to talk.

"W-What?!?," I turned around my shoulder to find a growing multitude of the yellow and black menaces behind me. "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I dashed off, afraid for my life, I was terrified of bees! (Pathetic, I know.) Well, I bet you're wondering why they were following me, I did too, but then I remembered that I used a HELL lot of shampoo last night to make sure I wasn't reeking of sweat after the exams. Trying to remember the shampoo's scent, it had something around the lines of "Relaxing Rose-something…" Seeing how bees just love flowers, I guess that they were attracted to my strong new, rosy scent. And just to explain why they're there, this school is almost the equivalent of a five-star hotel, but with teachers. There's bound to be, like, a billion plants and stuff around, thus, the bees.

In a matter of minutes, I had completed the necessary number of laps in record time, but kept on going. The bees that wandered around campus sure were persistent…

The rest of the students yelled for the groundskeeper to come with something to stray the insects away from me, it took quite a while, but the groundskeeper chased the insects away with the garden hose, seeing how bees HATE water. Panting after realizing that I could stop, I collapsed on the track. I felt as if my arms and legs weighed like a ton, I couldn't move at all. My eyelids slowly opened and closed as the teachers and students came running up to me.

"Is she O.K.?"

"Um, someone go get the nurse or something…"

"Hey, can you say anything?"

My mouth moved, but no sound escaped, I was really that tired that in a matter of seconds, everything went black…

---

What felt like hours later, my eyes flickered open, revealing that I was safely taken to the nurse's office, a very familiar place to me (having had gym-related injuries in the past).

"She's awake!!,"Italy's cheerful voice startled me at first. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Pretty much, what happened?," I asked.

"It seems that you passed out from fatigue.," Kiku stood up from reading a book in the far edge of the room.

"Yeah, the teachers and students kept gawking at you for five minutes until the nurse ran down to get you.," Ludwig explained.

"How'd they get me up here?," I asked.

"Mainly Ludwig and the nurse carried you up here.," Feliciano said.

"W-What?!?," I was shocked, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks. "O.K., whatever, so, am I allowed to go?"

"The nurse said that once you woke up, you could leave.," Kiku said.

"Let's all go out for pasta!!!," Feliciano yelled with joy. "You said that-"

"O.K., fine.," I said, remembering my promise.

---

Luckily, the closest Italian restaurant was a few blocks away from the campus. Feliciano almost literally skipped inside the building from the smell of the cooking pasta and…stuff….

"I'll take the…," Italy stammered, and then went on a whole description on how he wanted his food cooked.

The cook gave him a nod and said that it should take a few minutes. As for Kiku and Ludwig, they didn't care much for pasta, so they just ordered some drinks. For me, I ordered a small order of baked ziti, by far, one of my FAVORITE foods in the world (next to pocky and pizza).

Sitting at a table near the windows, Feliciano started the conversation.

"Here's to Jackie, who helped me pass the physical exams.," he leaned over to hug me, but I stopped him.

"Um, all I said was, "Watch out, the English army is right behind you,-"" I explained.

" THEY'RE BACK!!!!!," he screamed, hiding under the table.

"Was it something I said?," I asked Ludwig and Kiku.

"He's terrified of the English army-," Kiku started to explain.

"In fact, he's scared of EVERY army…," Ludwig rubbed his temples with his index and middle fingers, obviously stressed from Feliciano's nonsense.

"Please! I surrender!!!," Feliciano waved a white flag from under the table, made from a napkin and a straw.

"Does he do this _all_ the time?," I asked.

"Unfortunately, yes.," Kiku said.

"Hmmm," I thought over the situation in my head. "Hey, Feliciano, I'll eat all your pasta unless you get up-"

"O.K.! I'm sorry.," he emerged from underneath the table. "So, what do you think of World Academy so far?"

"Hm, the question that everyone has been asking me…," I sighed. "Everyone here is nice, I'll say that much."

"Maybe once you meet everyone, you'll change your mind-," Feliciano continued.

"Hey, Ludwig! There you are!," a tall, platinum blonde student, also from the World Academy (judging by the uniform he was wearing), came up from behind Feliciano. "I was going to ask you about the- wait, who's this?"

I assumed that he was talking to me.

"Gilbert I have no time for this. Why didn't you ask me-," Ludwig replied to the other blonde.

"Is she your date or something?," Gilbert interrupted Ludwig.

"NO!," we said in unison.

"She's the new student, as if the whole school isn't aware yet-," Ludwig said.

"Oh, really? She's decent-looking, no?," Gilbert commented, I wanted to punch him in the face for that…

"Um, excuse me, but I-," Ludwig got up from his seat and lead Gilbert outside, who knows what they were talking about, probably pretty important for him to leave us.

"Ah, it's so hard to believe that those two are brothers.," Italy said.

"Really?," I asked. "They don't look like they're brothers."

And that was the end of our conversation since Feliciano focused more on his pasta.

"My, it's gotten quite late!," Italy glanced at his watch after we all had finished, it was now nearly 7:00 P.M., sorry, but I consider that late on a school night.

"Oh my gosh, sorry, but I have to get going.," I stood up.

"It's dark out, and a girl shouldn't be out there by herself-," Feliciano said, but I ignored his statement and left.

---

After about a minute, I regretted having left Kiku and Feliciano, personally, I was starting to get scared at how dark it was. Walking down the dark, deserted sidewalk that was illuminated only with a few lampposts, I spotted the World Academy campus and began to run to the safety of the dorm rooms. I brought out my ID for the security guards that stopped me around the campus before thankfully going through the double doors of the main dorm building (with my heavy book bag, of course). Happy to be back, I quickly ran up the stairs without a second thought to the third floor. Upon my trek to the top of the final flight of stairs, I accidentally bumped into another student, unfortunately knocking my glasses off.

"Oww…," I stood up, having said hello to the wall.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!," the other student and I almost said in unison, the other student was Matthew (or Canada).

"Hi Matthew, I haven't seen you in a while!," I started the conversation, knowing that he is a pretty shy person.

"I-I'm s-so sorry.," he replied. "Here, your glasses- oh my, they've…"

Matthew handed over my bent up glasses, starting to panic.

"No problem.," I said, simply bending it back into place. "There, good as new!"

"I'm still sorry for-," he continued stammering.

"It's fine, really.," I reassured him. "I'm not mad at all." (O.K., that was a bit of a lie…)

"Well, um, see you tomorrow?," he continued his route down the stairs.

"Yeah, see you later.," I continued up the stairs to room 379.

---

Putting my heavy book bag down, I picked up the cordless phone on the nightstand next to my bed to call Toris, Eduard, and Raivis since they're usually together. Punching in the numbers to Toris' room, the phone began to ring.

_Ring…Ring…Ring…_

"Hello?"

"Hi! It's Jackie, what's up?"

"Um, nothing. What's wrong?"

"Nothing really, I was just bored and I thought that I could talk to you and-"

"Who's that?," I heard Feliks' voice in the background.

"This better not mess up the internet connection I have now…," Eduard muttered, probably talking about his laptop (it's a Mac).

"W-Who is it, Toris?," Latvia stuttered in the background.

"Be quiet! It's just Jackie.," Toris had to get everyone to shut up first.

"Hi!"

"Good evening."

"H-Hi! How are you?"

"Um, I'm fine, everyone. Why not just put me on speaker Toris?," I asked.

"O.K., hold on.," I heard a beep and I suddenly could hear Eduard typing away at his computer, Latvia shaking in the corner, and Feliks…just being Feliks…

"So, where were you after you passed out?," Toris asked. "We were looking for you everywhere, but everyone said that you left."

"Yeah, Italy, Germany, and Japan-," I said.

"What?!? What the hell were the Axis doing with you?!?," Poland (Feliks) screamed into the phone so loud, I jumped on the other line.

"They treated me out to pasta-," I explained.

"Did they try to get you to join them? What happened?," Feliks continued.

"Nothing happened! We just talked.," I said.

"Yeah, sure, and Germany didn't-," Feliks just wouldn't stop talking for some reason…

"He actually left when his brother Gilbert came-"

"WHA-?!?," everyone gasped.

"What did he want this time?"

"I thought he disappeared…"

"WAIT! ONE AT A TIME!," I screamed. "Now, what happened?"

"Well, it's all over what happened last year…," Toris explained.

God, I should've came here last year, it seems like a LOT of shit went down then…

"One day, he just left and none of the campus guards knew where he went off…," Eduard said from the back. "This year, he just came back and none of the students knew what happened…"

"O.K.," I said.

"Just please be careful, I don't want you to end up in the wrong crowd…," Toris said.

"It's fine, I'm used to this whole clique kind of thing, I mean, it's high school: what can you do?," I replied, trying to bring some humor into the conversation.

"Well, fine, but-"

Suddenly, I heard a loud knocking on their door.

"Hey, is everything O.K.?," I asked.

"Toris! Eduard! Latvia!," I heard Ivan's voice, what the hell was he doing there?

"Ah! Everyone hide!," Feliks screamed and then the line went dead.

Frantically, I dialed the number again, but no answer came. That night, I couldn't sleep, just thinking about what may have happened to them…

_To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 4

_A Year at the World Academy…_

Chapter 4:

Haven't you always noticed about how on Thursdays, you feel like…_BBBBLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH_? Well, that's how I felt during orchestra practice the next day. Austria (Roderich) kept on yelling at various sections of the orchestra and during his little interludes, I decided to start a conversation with Seychelles, since her section wasn't too far from mine. You could say that we literally sat next to each other-, oh yeah, we were…

"Is he always like this?," I asked her.

"Unfortunately, he's pretty strict, I don't see what Elizaveta (Hungary) sees in him…," Seychelles shook her head.

"Who's that?," I asked, feeling stupid. (really, it _SUCKS_ not at least knowing who's who)

"See that girl with the brown, curly hair there?," Seychelles pointed out the girl sitting in the empty audience seats.

"That's her?," I asked again.

"Yep, she and Austria were going out last year, but no one really knows why what made them break up at the end of the year…They were such a cute couple, too…," Seychelles explained. "Most people thought that it was over the whole Gilbert thing that happened, he and Elizaveta have known each other since they were kids, even though they despised each other. Who knows…"

"Interesting…," I said. "So how's the situation with you and YOU-Know-Who?"

"Um, nothing…," Seychelles cheeks turned red. "I kind of gave up after last year-"

"Yo, wait! What happened-?," I was about to find out when…

"Everyone! Once again from measure 86!," Austria yelled at the conductor's little podium-thingy.

Groaning, I picked up my violin and readied myself to play as my eight measure rest was about to end.

---

Walking out of the theater, Seychelles and I resumed our girl-talk…(OMG, I'm actually talking about something remotely girly! Usually, I'm talking about anime, video games, and other so-called "weird" stuff…)

"So…," I said. "What happened?"

"Ugh, it's that jerk Arthur…," she replied, turning red from anger. "He was so weird and mean when I first came, but Francis was so nice and understanding-"

"No offense, but he's like that to nearly every girl (or everyone) he meets.," I commented.

"But he said that I was his-," Seychelles held up her pinky. (A/N: Apparently in Japanese culture, when you refer to someone like that, it's sort of like saying that that person is your girlfriend/ and or boyfriend.)

"Awww, so what did Iggy (everyone's cruel nickname for Arthur, learned it from overhearing Francis arguing with him…AGAIN) do?," I asked.

"Well, it was, I guess…'complicated?'," Seychelles continued. "England wanted to claim me as one of his colonies and keep me away from Francis. Plus, he'd make me do random, stupid crap, like make his tea every other freaking hour."

"Ouch…," I said. "Let me guess, then love prevailed over all and-"

"No, I made a scene last year when I told Arthur off and ever since, neither Francis or Arthur have said a word to me…," Seychelles finished her story.

"Oh my gosh…," I was shocked, poor Seychelles... "What other couples hooked up last year? I know it was you and…you know, Elizaveta and Roderich, and…"

"Wow, last year, the school was just full of gossip and all that crap over who's with who and what not.," Seychelles groaned while talking in an annoyed tone. "Um, I think Honda Kiku and Taiwan had a 'thing' going on last year, but no one really knows. Natalia was chasing after Ivan-"

"But…he's her _brother…_," I said (please notice the emphasis on brother).

"Yeah, she's obsessed with him, apparently.," Seychelles explained.

"Incest much?," I shrugged.

"And…that's pretty much it.," Seychelles said. "Oh, but there's also a lot of those one-sided, unrequited loves floating around, too."

"Oooohhh…tell me!," I was bursting with anxiety. (Yay, look at me getting all giddy.)

"Um, for one, that guy Toris that you hang out with has a HUGE crush on Natalia.," Seychelles started.

"Really?," I gasped.

"Yeah, believe it or not.," Seychelles said. "They _did_ go on a date once, but she broke all of his fingers…"

"Oh God…," I felt my face start turning pale. "What happened?

"Apparently, Natalia hates Toris, I don't know why...," Seychelles shrugged. "Hm…what else? There was also a bunch of rumors saying that Gilbert had a crush on Elizaveta, but they're just rumors."

"Well, rumors are a lot more interesting that facts…," I said.

"Oh yeah, there's also, of course, Natalia's obsession with Ivan. He only sees her as a sister (and absolutely fucking scary and out of her mind), of course, but I guess Natalia has other plans…," Seychelles continued. "I think that's all of the ones that I can remember, though…"

"It's O.K.," I replied. "Boy, am I going to enjoy this school: there's an orchestra, interesting people, and a lot of love conflicts! It's just as high school's supposed to be!"

Seychelles stared at me like I had grown an extra eye.

"Yeah, I know that you're probably thinking that I'm crazy…," I shrugged.

"I guess you hated your school back in America…," she said.

"My God, yes!," I hopped a little, happy in Seychelles' accurate guess. "It was SOOO boring, I was DYING to go abroad, and I'm happy that I ended up here…"

Then, I realized that we had reached the dorms…

---

My dear reader, let's fast forward to tomorrow: Friday! (TGIF!) Aside from my regular classes, this day was just WEIRD… First of all, the school started to administer these 'Ballroom Dancing' and 'Cooking' classes, which had to take place over the time span of about six weeks (DON'T ASK). Ugh, I obviously EPIC FAIL at ballroom dancing and cooking! First up was the ballroom dancing class during the period before the period right before lunch…(God kill me now…)

"Good morning, class!," our fat-ass teacher called with her prissy accent.

The class took place in the ballroom that wasn't too far from the first floor lobby, quite a distance from the third floor chemistry lab...

"This week, we will draw our focus to the…waltz!," she continued, giving instructions and (OH GOD) demonstrating. (AHHH MY EYES!!!)

The bitch then paired us into boy-girl couples, THANK GOD, if I had to dance with another girl, I'd be ready to shoot myself. Unfortunately, I would've preferred dancing a girl rather than having Arthur as a dance partner…

"Now, everyone, these pairs are not permanent for the whole course, we will alternate every week.," the teacher continued, then I zoned out, glaring at my dance partner.

"I'll make your life a living hell if you try anything.," I said as the teacher instructed us to get into position. (EWWW, God, that sounds SOOOO wrong!)

Putting one hand on his waist (EWWW) and my hand in his (AH, SHOOT ME NOW!), the teacher cued in the music, playing "The Blue Danube Waltz" on her old-fashioned record player (Who even uses a record player anymore?...). Most of the class hesitated, but I didn't want to fail the class, so I took charge when the music started.

"What the hell are you doing?," Arthur tried to stay quiet.

"Look, I don't want to fail the course, so?," I whispered.

"O.K., fine, let me take the lead, then.," he insisted.

"The dance floor is yours.," I said, leaving it to Arthur to lead me through the dance.

"Hey! Keep in time, you two!,' the teacher yelled over the music. "That's it!"

"My God, look at those two!"

"The new kid can dance?"

"What...the hell?..."

The music ended and the two of us parted to hear what the teacher had to say.

"I have to say, I am quite impressed at how you two were able to _decently_ do the dance.," she gave her oh-so 'kind words' concerning our attempt. "So, class, let's say we do another round of practice with another song?"

"Oh no, not again…," I groaned, lining up with the class again.

After the bell rang, I was scheduled to have cooking class in the kitchen. (Yay! FOOOOOOOOD!!!) The teacher that we had had a really thick French accent, so sometimes, we had to kind of mentally decode what he was trying to say. (with the exception of Francis) This week, we went over all of the basics: boiling water, cracking eggs, sharpening knives (MWAHAHAHAHA), and all of those techniques. So, there wasn't much to talk about except that I was able to avoid burning the kitchen to a crisp without even trying. (cue in the "Halleluiah Chorus")

---

At lunch, I met up Seychelles and some of her friends: Elizaveta, Liechtenstein, Taiwan (or Mei), and Vietnam.

"So, what did you all think of the ballroom dancing class?," Seychelles asked all of us once we were all seated.

"Ugh, I ended up with Gilbert as my dance partner, he is just freaking awful!," Elizaveta complained. "He's a jerk! He kept on stepping on my feet on purpose and everything…"

"Um, well, Austria isn't that half-bad at dancing…," Liechtenstein shyly said, twirling a short lock of her blonde hair in her fingers.

"Well, it was fun! Alfred F. Jones is actually quite the dancer…," Mei cheerfully spoke up.

"Im Yong Soo tried to grope me and grab my ass during half of the song…," Vietnam angrily muttered while eating her lunch.

"How about you, Seychelles?," I asked her.

"My dance partner was a Frenchman, so nothing went wrong at all…," she swooned, thinking about Francis.

"You were right about Arthur being a jerk.," I said.

"But you two were actually pretty good.," Vietnam said, surprised at my comment.

"Well, at first, I was the one leading him through the waltz, and then he wanted to take over. He started too fast and it was hard to keep up with him. I didn't say anything since I could've lost concentration. We argued over going faster or slowing down until the teacher said to slow down.," I explained. "Hmph, I'm happy that we're alternating partners…"

"Hm, I believe the teacher said that we're doing the Tango next.," Taiwan said.

"Oh, God kill me now…," I whined.

---

Well, seeing how I am so considerate to spare you the boredom of my core classes, let's fast forward AGAIN to Saturday morning! I woke up bright and early to clean up a bit around my oh-so messy room. Surprisingly, I was done around nine when I was satisfied with my half-assed cleaning and someone was at my door.

"Coming!," I called to whoever was outside.

Slowly opening the door, Alfred, Toris, Arthur, and Matthew were standing outside.

"Um, hi! What can I do for you?," I said.

"Well, we were just wondering if you had anything to do-," Alfred replied.

"Actually, I don't, so?," I replied quickly.

"Would you like to hang out with us today?," Alfred asked.

"Um…sure, give me a minute.," I stammered, almost literally slamming the door in their faces. (Ugh, I'm so mean…)

At first I was like, "What?!? They want to hang out with _me?!?_ The new kid?" It seemed too good to be true, but seeing how in the fifteen years of my life I've never had a date, this was no time to be picky. Really, it's just Alfred, Arthur, Matthew, and Toris, what could possibly happen?

---

Stepping out, I changed into a pair of black jeans, sneakers, a small back pack, a Hard Rock sweater, and a red kokeshi doll shirt.

"Well, where are we off to?," I asked them.

"Um, we're not t-too sure…," Matthew spoke up.

I brought a map of the city that surrounds the campus and pointed out a bunch of places that we could run to. Don't ask of how I got it, the stupid professional staff at the school threw a billion pamphlets at me like I was a tourist rather than a student…(Yeah, I just said don't ask and I went ahead and explained the whole thing...a stupid thing to do, no?)

"How about…here?!?," I first pointed to an area where there was just a bunch of places to hang out: arcades, restaurants, shops, and all that…'fun' stuff…

"Well, it's better than Alfred's idiotic idea to go to McDonalds'.," Arthur commented.

"Hey!," Alfred exclaimed, offended.

"Um, let's go, shall we?," Toris interrupted the conversation, being the voice of logic in their small argument.

---

Walking out of the campus, the sun was out and shining brightly, to me, it was almost blinding. After a few minutes' walk, Alfred insisted on stopping by the arcade first. Stepping inside the dark, neon-lit building, I recognized a lot of World Academy students there. As Arthur and Alfred ran off to the Skee Ball area in the back and Matthew challenged Cuba to a game of Air Hockey in the corner, Toris and I were left to wander around the place.

A certain game caught my eye after thirty seconds of wandering: Dance Dance Revolution! I ran toward the game and deposited my quarters. The announcer on the game started talking as I chose to skip the opening sequence. I then randomly chose a song, it was just by coincidence that that song was 'Butterfly,' one of the most goddamn catchy DDR songs…

A small crowd formed around me as the game's announcer was counting down.

"Hey, isn't that the girl from ballroom dancing class?"

"Let's see if she does well dancing solo!"

'Yeah, sure, no pressure!,' I thought, ready to take on the song.

Now, I've been playing Dance Dance Revolution since I was a kid, but due to stupid stuff like school, I couldn't really practice that much (that, and the arcade at the mall went out of business), so I thought that I would be a little rusty. Surprisingly, I was doing quite well. In a matter of about a minute and forty seconds, the song ended and the game gave me an A as my grade for my attempt.

Feeling confident, I stepped the difficulty up a notch to one of the slightly harder songs. Hearing a bunch of people talking, I noticed the crowd beginning to grow in size. Wow, I never really expected something like this, but, whatever. The new, faster, and harder song started in a matter of moments. I was surprised at my accuracy of the moves (or arrows, or whatever you want to call them). Looking behind my shoulder, some people were taking out their cell phones to record what was going on. Then, I decided to be a bit of an entertainer and add a little attitude to my moves.

Another, even harder song I chose at random followed afterwards and I did O.K. on that too. Unfortunately, my turn was up and I didn't want to use up any more of my quarters. A few people complimented me like, "You were pretty good." and all that stuff as I stepped down from the platform.

Suddenly, I heard Alfred yell from the entrance, "Hey! We're leaving!"

"Coming!," I called back, catching up to them.

---

We had managed to kill some time at the arcade, and it was now about twelve noon. Alfred had won in a game of rock-paper-scissors against Arthur on where to go eat. His obvious choice was McDonalds'. Where Arthur wanted to go…I'd rather not say… Once we got there, only Arthur and I didn't eat. Arthur obviously hated burgers and wasn't hungry. I wasn't hungry either, plus, I could just make myself some ramen when I get home. Arthur ordered about three of the biggest burgers on the menu, and Toris and Matthew had separate salads. We all decided on eating on one of those balcony things to get some fresh air.

Once on the balcony, we sat at one of those circular seats with an umbrella. The shade, with the intense sunlight, was nice. Alfred had started a conversation between him, Toris, and Matthew, while Arthur and I were silent. He looked off into the distance, looking bored, while I looked at my hands with disgust. Personally, I thought that my hands were freaking hideous, they were bony, my blue veins clearly stood out, my fingertips callused beyond help, and could possibly kill people with the right amount of rage I have. In fact, I thought that I was freaking ugly all together: everyone always made fun of my narrow eyes (hey, I'm freaking Asian, it's in my genes…), my hair was long and always slapped people in the face if I wasn't careful, and I was lucky just to have grown to be taller than 5'0".

Suddenly, I heard some shuffling and shouting next to me. Glancing to my left, Alfred was choking! At first, I was debating over to start laughing or to be the 'hero' and save him. My mom being a nurse, I instantly sprang into action like I was in some medical soap opera or some bad fanfiction.

"Shit!," I stood up and ran to the collapsed, choking Alfred F. Jones.

As stated a line of dialogue ago, since my mother is a nurse, I knew how to perform some decent CPR (even though I'm not certified, Ooooohhhh…).

"Can you talk?!? Are you O.K.?!?," I called to him as Matthew was on the brink of fainting and Toris stumbled around with his cell phone, unable to call anyone with his shaking fingers.

When one learns some half-assed CPR, you obviously have to ask the 'choking victim' if he or she is O.K. Next, one must perform sets of 3 chest compressions every few 5 or so seconds. God, I sound like one of those training videos…

"Hey! This isn't funny! If this is a joke, you're a freaking jerk!," I held him by the collar and my voice started rising in volume.

I seriously _did not_ want to go mouth-to-mouth, so this guy had better wake up soon…!!!

…

No response: never a good sign…I guess that means that I'll have to…

Laying him on his back again, I reluctantly leaned in forward…God, was I so disappointed…What?!? I haven't had my first kiss yet, so having to give it away to a guy I didn't really like wasn't part of my plan…

He then started coughing a little, as my face was a good eight centimeters from his. I almost jumped back as Alfred sat up, regaining consciousness.

"You jerk! Don't talk with your mouth full!," I yelled, face probably flushing.

"Wait, what happened?," oh-so clueless Alfred asked.

Arthur face palmed himself at Alfred's ridiculous statement.

"You idiot, you were choking!," Arthur explained.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really!"

"Are you sure?!?"

"Of course, I am!"

Here we go again…

---

We were walking out of the McDonalds' with about nearly everyone staring at us, thanks to Alfred's whole public display…when suddenly, Ivan and his sisters popped out of nowhere! Yeah, Toris was about to scream, but just seeing Natalia made the situation a thousand times better in his eyes. Alfred, Arthur, and Matthew's expressions remained the same, but I could tell that they were probably scared as hell.

"Hello, Toris! I was wondering where you went…," Ivan said.

"Oh, u-um, hi Ivan!," Toris said, then turned to Natalia. "Hi! Say, I was wondering if-"

"Go away.," Natalia's cold and icy stare bore into his soul…(got a little descriptive there, no?)

"You sure? I'm-," Toris insisted.

"C'mon, Ivan, sis, we should go…," Natalia grabbed Ivan by his scarf and Ukraine gave a shy glance to the oh-so shy Matthew as the three siblings turned to go.

Once they were at a safe distance, Toris said, "Natalia's sooooooo pretty, isn't she?..."

"Um-," I began to speak when-

"She _broke all of your fingers_ last year when you took her out on a date, Toris.," Alfred said. "Maybe you should find someone else-"

"Perhaps…," he replied to the blonde.

"U-um, hey, guys! Why don't we head somewhere else?," Arthur spoke up, hm, quite weird for him not insulting Alfred in this one sentence…

"Y-Yeah! Where to?," Matthew said, I handed over the map I had earlier.

We all looked over Matthew's shoulder to see the map and our eyes lingered to the obvious hang out spot that was labeled in huge bold letters…

_To be continued_


	5. Chapter 5

_A Year at the World Academy…_

Chapter 5:

The pamphlet said that this place was supposed to be good: '_fine dining, shopping' _and all that other stuff that pamphlets say to get you to go to wherever they're advertising. Well, going to the mall didn't sound too bad, a bit cliché, but whatever. We approached the HUGE building with fancy script that proclaimed its name, but even I couldn't read it.

Stepping inside, this place was totally different from what you would expect from your ordinary mall. Of course there was a fountain, a rotunda with windows, but half of the stores were probably selling designer stuff that I haven't heard of, it was kind of weird. Usually, I was used to the usual boring sight of a RadioShack, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bath & Body Works, etc.

I turned to my four companions and they didn't seem to look as shocked as I was. But yet again, these guys go to The World Academy, paying tuition, so they're bound to be freaking rich.

"I'm going to go to the food court if you guys need me!," Alfred ran off to the stairs that lead to the second floor.

"Well, I also must bid you three farewell, I have to go finish some errands.," England calmly walked off, damn, I thought he was going to say, 'Cheerio.' or something else around of those lines in his prissy accent.

I turned to Toris and Matthew, the sane ones of this group, and asked, "Well, does this place have a bookstore at the very least-?"

"Yeah, it's on the third floor somewhere.," Toris said.

"You're going there? Oh, I was just planning to go there myself.," Matthew said, not stuttering for once.

"Well, let's get going!," I skipped a few paces ahead of them, letting them know to pick up their pace.

"W-Wait! Don't run!," Matthew called as he followed.

Then, I could've sworn him mutter, "She's turning out to be another Alfred in a way…"

---

My eyes sparkled at a familiar, comfortable sight: Barnes and Nobles (it's a bookstore, for all the people out there who don't read books).

"Since when could she run this fast?," I heard Matthew ask Toris.

"Who knows…," Toris replied.

"Well, are you two slowpokes coming?," I teased.

Stepping inside, I ran for the manga section, leaving Matthew and Toris to their own browsing. Upon reaching the five shelves packed with manga, I saw a familiar face with jet black hair reading a copy of something in Japanese.

"Oh, hi, Kiku!," I waved.

"You seem cheerful today.," he retorted, returning to his manga.

"I don't know, maybe it's the sunshine and the good weather…," I replied. "What's up?"

"The ceiling.," Kiku said.

I chuckled, "Hm, funny."

An awkward silence shortly followed, so then I decided to browse among the Naruto manga, one of my past obsessions. Next, I looked for any Soul Eater manga, since one of my friends is a HUGE fan of it-

"You like shonen?," I heard Kiku ask.

"Yeah, pretty much, I don't care for shojo.," I replied.

"Hm, some shojo manga are interesting and aren't just about ditzy high school romances…," Kiku said, turning the page in his manga.

Following yet another awkward silence, I said, "You know, I'm just bothering you, aren't I? I guess I'll get going-"

And like the idiot I am, I (quickly) walked (or ran, whatever, 'running' to me is basically walking fast).

"Wait! You weren't-," I could hear him a couple of aisles away from whatever section I ran into.

Catching my breath after running away with a jolt of energy that I got from God knows where, I looked around and found a sign that read: Young Adults/ Teens. Yay! To my disappointment, there was an ENTIRE FUCKING SHELF FILLED WITH MOTHERFUCKING TWILIGHT MEMORBILIA. The shape of my mouth in shock was almost identical to that of a cartoon character's.

After my vain efforts to find a book that was NOT about fucking sparkling vampires, I left the bookstore, but couldn't find neither Toris or Matthew. A bench was outside the store, so I went to go sit there for a moment, hoping that maybe they might be able to see me. Five minutes passed, and there was no sign of either of them. Giving up on finding them, I took out my cell phone, but then realized that I didn't even have their numbers.

"Oh, goddamn it…," I muttered, getting up.

Since I had nothing else to do, I was going to head back to the campus by myself.

---

From my experience at this weird-ass mall, I have to thank God for the genius that invented directories. If it wasn't for the third floor directory, I would've never found an exit and bus stop! Unfortunately, fate has decided to literally rain on my parade that afternoon when the moment I stepped out of the mall, it started to get cloudy.

"SHIT!!!," I screamed at the cruel gods that were probably laughing at my misfortune from the heavens above.

After a moment of drizzle, it started the rain started to absolutely POUR down on me, so I ran for the bus stop. Luckily, a bus just got there when I was about a few meters from the stop, but as a cruel gesture by fate, the bus pulled away as I finally got to the bus stop. God damn it…

Panting and soaked from head to toe, I retreated to the small bus stop. I checked my watch: it was now around 2:45 P.M. in the afternoon, and the next bus wouldn't be around until a little before, on, or after 3:00. Just lovely…

I was dying to get home, so I decided to try and make a run for the next bus stop. Running through the deserted, slippery sidewalk, there was absolutely no one else around. Seriously, if my parents back in America could see me now, I'd have to brace myself for an hour long lecture on why I must never go outside in the rain for the most retarded reasons that one would tell a kindergartener.

Once I had run a block down to the next bus stop, I unfortunately missed the bus, AGAIN. It seems that everyone was smart enough to go inside at the sound of thunder, unlike myself.

Panting, I sneezed awfully loud that it echoes throughout the empty block.

"Hey! You! What are you doing?!?," I heard someone yell from behind me.

"Who's there?!?," I shivered, teeth chattering from the cold rain.

To my surprise, I felt the raindrops stop. Looking up, someone had kindly lent their umbrella for the moment. I turned to see who was the kind, compassionate person that the angels in heaven had sent to save me from catching a cold. Looking over my shoulder, to my surprise, it was Ludwig. At first, I was like, WTF, but I guess that's because I haven't seen him in a while.

"Oh! Hi! What're you doing-?," I asked.

"What are YOU doing?!?," he retorted.

"Hm, I was hanging out with a bunch of acquaintances when I wanted to take the bus back to the campus.," I explained."Now answer MY question: What are YOU doing out here?"

"Errands, nothing special, now let's get going, you've been out here soaked for too long already!," he said.

"God, fine, you sound like my mother.," I retorted.

"Well, you'll get sick if-!," he protested.

"Yeah, sure, I 'm not going to get sick-," I said, but my loud sneeze that interrupted my sentence proved him right.

We shared the one umbrella on the way back, but that made a couple of students stare at us.

"What the hell-?!?"

"Hey, look."

"She's with-!?!"

Seriously, what the heck was wrong? Didn't they notice that it just so happened to be raining, that I didn't have an umbrella for myself, and that I happened to have met Ludwig by chance on the street with an umbrella? Well, still, I guess the chances of that happening are pretty slim, but to hell with that.

---

After passing through the campus gates, he insisted to 'escort' me to my room first. Hm, I guess he wanted to be a 'gentleman' and all that crap. I usually didn't get that kind of treatment back in the U.S. of A., most teenage boys there will treat you like shit! Hm, I was too nice in saying 'most teenage boys'…

We reached the third floor in a matter of two minutes of climbing. It would've taken less time if I had helped him with the heavy groceries, but he insisted on doing it himself.

"Well, thanks for your help.," I smiled, unlocking the door. "I guess I'll…see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, in homeroom, right?," Ludwig asked.

"Yep, well, bye.," I shut the door behind me slowly, making sure that I didn't slam it in his face. (and thus avoiding what I did to my four acquaintances this morning!)

---

Waking up the next morning, it was hard for me to believe that nearly a month and a half had already passed. The calendar read: October 18th, 2010, but to me, it felt like it was still September. Today, it was a little chilly, so I dug out one of the sweaters that were accepted for fall and winter. Grabbing my insanely heavy book bag, I ran out of the dorms in a matter of a minute and a half.

The rain clouds had parted again overnight, which is a good thing. I walked toward the main building when I saw Toris and Feliks literally almost charging directly at me…

"What's going on!?!," I asked as they halted once they got close enough to talk to me.

"Like, oh my gosh, what happened to you yesterday?," Feliks asked.

"I was wondering about where Toris and Matthew went after they ditched me, too, Feliks.," I replied.

"We were looking for you!," Toris explained.

"_I _was right outside on one of those benches.," I tried to explain my half of the story.

"Hm, well, Alfred called Matthew over at around 2:30 yesterday afternoon and I had to tag along with him. Matthew said that we could call you later, but then by the time we reached the food court, neither Alfred, Matthew, or I had your number, let alone know if you had a cell phone!," Toris continued, sounded waaaay too stressed out.

"Gosh, calm down.," I softened my tone. "It's fine!"

"I'm glad that you made it back, since we were unsure if you knew the way back to the campus-," he said.

"Don't worry! I was going to catch a bus, but it was too late.," I explained.

"Then how did you get back?," he asked.

"Oh, it was raining, I was soaked, and Ludwig appeared out of nowhere to help me-," I continued, but was cut off.

"_Him?!?_," Feliks asked. "He doesn't talk to anyone, excluding Italy and Japan…"

"Well, we're in the same homeroom, so we kind-of know each other.," I explained. "He was heading back to campus, too, so I went along with him."

"I'd like to continue this conversation, but, like, first period's about to start.," Feliks said. "Later!"

Waving goodbye, Toris and I had to trek up the stairs up to homeroom, oh yeah, and don't forget to factor in the heavy book bag I have.

---

I've NEVER been a fan of Monday mornings, so I'll just tell you now that nothing exciting happened during the first four periods of the day. Once the bell rang, Taiwan came up to me as we were walking down to the cafeteria.

"Hey! I haven't seen you in a while!," I greeted her.

"Yeah, nice to see you again.," she replied. "Seychelles had to meet up with you-KNOW-who before meeting up with us."

"Ooooooh! Where did they go?," I anxiously asked.

"She didn't tell me where, but isn't that exciting?!?," she asked.

"Yeah, totally, who knows, this could bring them back together.," I tried to restrain myself from emitting a girly squeal.

---

We reached the cafeteria and met up again with Liechtenstein, Vietnam, and Elizaveta.

"Oh my gosh, is it true!?!?," Elizaveta stood up in her seat once Taiwan and I told them about what was going on between Seychelles and Francis. "I must find out if-!"

"No!," Liechtenstein rose her voice.

We all turned to her in shock of her outburst.

"Seychelles would probably highly appreciate some privacy.," she quietly continued.

"Yeah, she does have a point.," Vietnam agreed. "This is something really personal for her, so it's best that we be the shoulder she can cry on later."

I was a little taken back at Vietnam's comment, but whatever, we decided to just stay and wait, literally almost dying from the suspense. When Seychelles came in through the double doors of the cafeteria, we all froze. From her facial expression, she didn't seem disappointed or sad…but I can't be too sure.

"Hi!," she greeted all of us.

"So, how'd it go?," Taiwan asked.

"Well…," Seychelles started and the rest of us leaned in to hear her. "…he's happy to know that I still hate that jerk England, but we're not dating or anything…"

"," we groaned in disappointment.

"…._YET_.," Seychelles finished her sentence.

"I'm happy for you, Seychelles.," Liechtenstein shyly said.

"Not exactly the 'live happily ever after' ending I was looking for, but O.K.," Taiwan said.

"Hm, so there's something up with Iggy and Francis, correct?," I asked her, adjusting my glasses.

"Well, they hate each other for who-knows-what reason, from what I've noticed.," Seychelles said.

The other girls continued talking, but I kept on thinking of any reason that Iggy may have to hate Francis so much that Seychelles also has to suffer….jerk…

---

After school, I wandered around to see if I could find that jerk England and get to the bottom of the situation. Orchestra practice wasn't on for today, and neither were most of the other clubs. Suddenly, I had an epiphany to quickly find Arthur:

Running around like an idiot, I screamed loud enough for nearly everyone to hear, "HEY LOOK!!! IT'S A REAL UNICORN, ENGLAND!!!"

Then, in a heartbeat, Arthur dashed over to where I was.

"What? Where?!? I told you all that they were real-," he said, looking around.

"Hey, England.," I tapped on his shoulder.

"Wha-?!?," Arthur turned around. "Oh, it's you. I heard that your disappearance sent that moron Alfred, Toris, and Matthew into a frenzy yesterday."

"Whatever, anyway, what the heck have you been doing to come between Seychelles and Francis?!?," I glared at him.

"Ugh, anything that girl has said is a lie-," England protested my accusation.

"Sure, you jerk!," I yelled back. "It's because of your rivalry with Francis that Seychelles can't even see him without you freaking out!"

He didn't reply to what I said.

"Do you have a crush on her or something-?!?," I asked.

"N-No!," Arthur said, cheeks turning as red as a tomato. (Better make sure Romano doesn't mistake him for one.)

"Mmhm.," I nodded, smiling. "I won't blame you: she has a good heart and really pretty…You probably think that Francis doesn't deserve her-"

"That womanizing pervert is always trying to make himself look like the victim and making me look bad…," I heard him mutter. "_You _probably wouldn't understand…"

"What do you mean? I _totally _get what you're trying to say.," I said in a sympathetic tone. "This happened to me, too…"

He turned to me looking quite shocked.

"Why would you ever worry about being heartbroken, you're-," he said.

"I couldn't bring myself to say anything, and all I did was hurt myself and the others around me…trust me, it's not a feeling that you should have to live with…," I said, my voice on the brink of failing me. "You should just tell her how you feel, no matter what the consequences may be…it's better than living with regret."

"…I guess you're right…," Arthur admitted. "For an American, you're actually somewhat smart-"

"Yeah, thanks for the compliment, _asshole._," I said with a bitter tone.

"Ugh, why are you like that?!?," he grabbed my wrist, keeping me from leaving, but I twisted it a little to break free, but without hurting him.

"Like what?," I death glared the blonde.

"You're so cold, emotionless, and angry at everything!-," he said.

"So are you, Sherlock.," I retorted. "Now if you excuse me, I must retreat to the small area of sanctity that I have-"

"But what the hell are you mad at?!? It's not like you have any problems whatsoever: you have good grades, friends, good looks-," this jerk went on rambling.

"SHUT UP!," I yelled. "You're right about my grades and friends, but I am motherfucking ugly, so piss off."

"But-!"

"Shut up!," I yelled again, then yelled again in Spanish at him, "Soy feo!"

"Wait!," I heard Arthur say as I left to the dormitories.

---

I ran up the stairs to my room and threw myself onto my bed, my face in a pillow. Just exactly was this jerk thinking?!? Seychelles is completely clueless on his huge crush on her, so why is he just making her miserable?!? God, I can see why she-

The phone suddenly rang, it was, to my surprise, Kiku.

"H-Hello?," I answered the phone.

"Konnichiwa, Jacqueline-chan.," I heard him say.

He was so cute, being all formal.

"You can just call me Jackie, you know, but whatever.," I replied. "So, what's up? Don't say 'the ceiling' because my lungs are still recovering from laughing so hard last time."

"Ano, um, thank you?," Kiku replied, sounding unsure of whether I was being sarcastic or not. "Well, um, I have to interview you for an article in the school paper and I'd like to know what day would be convenient for you."

Was he asking me out or was this strictly business? At the time, I didn't want to be rude, so I replied, "Oh, really? 'The Hetalian' wants to write an article about me? Hm…what day is good for you?"

"Um, any day this week, actually.," Kiku said.

"Um, how about this Thursday after 3:30 in the afternoon?," I asked.

"Perfect, I'll see you then.," he said. "Sayonora."

I placed the phone down and sighed. After my outburst at Arthur, talking to the ever-calm Kiku Honda calmed me down to the point where I could've had the patience of a saint. Suddenly, the phone rang again.

"Hello, who is this?," I calmly said.

"Jacqueline-," I heard the person on the other end.

"Yes, you're speaking to her right now.," I replied. "How may I help you?"

"Um, I just wanted to apologize for what I did earlier…," goddamn it, it was Arthur.

"Oh, hey Iggy, what's up?," I said, feeling guilty.

"You don't have to feel sorry for anything, I'm just usually like this, just ask Alfred or Francis.," he replied.

"Y-Yeah, sure…," I replied, not believing what I was hearing…

"So, um-"

"I don't mean to be rude, but I have to go.," I lied, trying to stop myself from stuttering. "Goodbye, Arthur."

Placing the phone back in its place, I decided to drown in my loneliness for the next five minutes while laying on the bed, playing "Aku no Meshitsukai (The Servant of Evil)" by the Japanese Vocaloid Len Kagamine on my iPod. It was, in my opinion, the BEST Vocaloid song…_EVER_.

My solitude was interrupted when my door opened, since I had forgot to lock it.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't know-!," it was Eduard this time.

"Yo, hey Eduard.," I said, taking the earphones out of my ears and turning off my iPod. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I thought that I'd see you, Lithuania was having a fit when he lost you.," Eduard said, closing the door behind him.

"So I've heard.," I replied. "He shouldn't worry about my fugly self-"

"He did anyway.," Eduard continued. "He called me, then Latvia, asking for your number. Neither of us knew and he was yelling in the background when he called us."

"Oh God, this is bad…," I frowned. "It feels like I've taken advantage of him, it's not fair…Toris is probably the nicest person I've met here and I acted like it was nothing when I left and sent him and everyone else into a huge mess-"

"Don't worry about it, he's just really happy that you made it back.," Eduard tried to reassure me. "Say, you know that finals are coming up next week-"

"WHAT?!?!," I jumped. "NEXT _WEEK?!?_ UGH! There's time a wasting! It's time to cram!"

_To be continued_


	6. Chapter 6

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 6:**

"What are you so worried about?," Seychelles asked me the next day as we were heading to the cafeteria for lunch with Taiwan.

"Ugh, I'm sorry, I'm just naturally not confident I guess.," I shrugged, referring to the finals coming up next week.

"You're grades are pretty high, so you've got nothing to worry about.," Taiwan said. "Maybe you could study by tutoring some other kids?"

"That's absolute genius, Mei!," I said. "The only problem is: I'm a _horrible _teacher."

"You can't be that bad.," Seychelles said. "Say, I'll hook you up with some retard to tutor afterschool and we'll see what'll happen."

"Wait, I didn't agree to-!"

Well, unfortunately, Taiwan's suggestion became a reality when I was stuck tutoring Alfred F. Jones for Geometry. Too bad that my friends forgot that I was now in the Algebra II class, not the Geometry class like most of the other sophomores. The Geometry classroom was located not too far from 2-C's homeroom on the third floor. Walking inside the classroom, it seemed that it was going to be only Alfred and I today…

"Hey! What's up?," he sprung out of his seat to greet me…typical of the spontaneous guy.

"Nothing much, what are you having problems with?," I asked, plopping my book bag on another chair and taking out some paper and a mechanical pencil.

"Well, it's those…things with the two columns-," Alfred said.

"Triangle proofs?," I asked.

"Yeah! Something along those lines…," Alfred replied.

"Congruent or similar triangle proofs?," I further questioned.

"Um…I think it was the first one you said.," he said.

"Do you have any textbook or worksheets from class with you?," I asked again, trying my best to act professional and…stuff…

"Yeah, a couple of them.," Alfred dug out a mess of papers from his desk and handed them to me.

His penmanship could use some work, but he was really trying at the very least. Turns out, the proofs were on congruent triangles, which was good news for me, I thought they were easy. (Yeah, everyone, I know that you're thinking like, 'What the hell is talking about?,'…but too bad, DEAL WITH IT! MWAHAHA…)

I pulled a chair from a nearby desk next to him to work on the problems that he didn't finish. Luckily, the geometry teacher walked in while we were working and I asked him for an answer key, he happily handed a copy over, whispering that Alfred really needed the extra help. After that, I took my seat next to him again and frowned at the stupid mistake he made while I was talking to the teacher.

Sighing a little, I said, "No, you need to prove this side congruent to this side first."

After a moment of silence, he said, "God, you're the only person to have stuck with me this long without losing their patience, even Kiku couldn't teach me: got frustrated when I had problems with truth statements."

I laughed a little, truth statements, to me, were another easy topic.

But, not wanting to be rude, I said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's O.K.," Alfred said, continuing his work.

After a good forty minutes of working and tutoring, I had to check his work. The first problem we did together, so it was obviously right. To my surprise, he got the next one right, which he did on his own. He even got the last three problems right. Perhaps he isn't as big of an idiot I thought he was…

In shock, I said, "You got them all right!"

"Really?!?," Alfred stood up in his seat.

"Here, take a look for yourself.," I said, holding his work to compare with the answer sheet.

He took the two sheets of paper, probably making sure that he wasn't dreaming or something, then threw his arms around me and started babbling on a thousand 'Thank you's at me. I could feel myself probably trembling and my cheeks turning a light pink from embarrassment! But, I felt good in having helped him out, despite my doubts from before. I may not have gotten any material reward out of this, but the satisfaction of helping him understand congruent triangle proofs was enough for me.

"Y-You're welcome.," I replied, trying to pry myself out of his grip.

"Say, I'll take you out to dinner sometime this week, how about Thursday?," he asked.

"Uh-," I was too slow to answer.

"You can come right?," he asked.

"Uh-," I uttered again.

"Great! See you Thursday! I'll see you then!," Alfred dashed out of the classroom before I could even explain my situation.

Returning to my abode of Room 379, I grabbed the phone on the nightstand next to my bed and dialed Toris' number at a speed that rivaled the speed of sound.

Ring…Ring…(H-H-Hello? Sorry, 'Charlie the Unicorn' reference.)

"Hello?," he said from the other line.

"Listen, you're smart and patient enough to sit through my rants, I need some help with the pitiful social life I have at the moment-," I rudely greeted poor Toris.

"What happened?!," he was getting all worried and worked up…AGAIN. "I heard that you and England-"

"WHAT?!?," I felt my blood boil from the sound of the jerk's name. "What did they tell you?!? Nothing happened, dammit!"

"C-Calm down…," Toris stuttered.

"I'm sorry.," I apologized.

"Well, go on, what's the problem?," he continued.

"O.K., I'm supposed to meet up with Kiku Honda on Thursday, but the 'American Idiot' Alfred F. Jones set me up to meet him on Thursday too. What should I do? I feel bad in turning both of them down-," I explained.

"So it's a double date-," Toris said.

"It's _not _a date, I swear.," I clarified.

"Well, why don't you go see one first, then meet up with the other later?," Toris suggested.

"Hm, that could actually work! Thanks!," I felt my face lighten up and my eyes sparkle with stars or something. "What would I do without you?"

"U-Um, you're welcome, but I have to go, bye.," Toris replied, then suddenly hung up, he was probably busy or something, so, whatever.

Fast forward to Thursday…UGH, I always get that feeling that's like, "When's Friday coming?" on Thursdays, knowing that I've got another day of the week to go. Today, I decided to wander around after orchestra practice was over for about five minutes. We really were actually getting somewhere this rehearsal in getting past the first scene of the musical!

After Seychelles and I were done packing away our instruments, she said, "So, how did it go yesterday?"

"Well, I actually have to thank you, since it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Alfred actually isn't as big of an idiot I originally thought him to be.," I replied. "So…."

"I told you, nothing is-," Seychelles said, struggling not to stutter.

"Well, sorry!," I said. "Anyway, I ran into Arthur the other day-"

"Ugh, what did the jerk do this time?," Seychelles frowned, crossing her arms.

"He didn't do anything, turns out, he most likely has a crush on you.," I simply replied.

"W-What the…hell….?," Seychelles had to take a few moments to process what I had just said. "That's not-"

"Well, what other possible explanations could there be? Usually, when a guy just keeps on bothering a girl, 95% of the time, he has a huge crush on her-," I tried to persuade her.

"OR, like the other 5% of the time, he could just be a jerk.," Seychelles said. "Look, I appreciate your help, but I'll handle it."

"O.K., whatever you say, it's just that-," I said.

"Listen, nothing bad is going to happen, I'll go talk to him myself.," Seychelles said before saying, "See you tomorrow!"

Well, I bet you're all wondering why I'm so concerned with my friend's love life. You can't expect a girl to have some small iota of experience in romance. Back in the U.S. of A., I've seen a bunch of my friends go through terrible relationships, and for every single one of them, I've had to be the shoulder to cry on afterwards and you know what?!? I was so goddamn sick to my stomach with the jerks that they hooked up with, but didn't do anything. Really, what human being wouldn't feel a bit of guilt in a situation like that? Ugh, anyway, change of subject!

I glanced at my watch and I swear that my heart could've skipped a beat. It was already 3:15! That meant that I had five minutes to change and ten minutes to meet up with Kiku.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!," I screamed, running like there was no tomorrow to the sanctity of the dorms.

Running up the stairs to the third floor, I accidentally bumped into Feliciano, who reminded me that Kiku's going to be waiting for me at the gate in a few minutes. Shit, I burst through the poor door of Room 379 to change into my 'OTAKU' t-shirt, a pair of boot-leg jeans, and some Converse sneakers. Now, it was 3:25, goddamn it…

Looking out the window, I saw that Kiku wasn't there yet, which was good, I didn't want to make an idiot out of myself. Next, I took the white hair tie on my right wrist while running down the stairs to put my hair in a bun. Turned out to be a really messy bun…

Panting, I ran to the school gates with two minutes to spare.

"Yes!," I exclaimed, gasping for precious oxygen, only to be interrupted by the calm voice behind me…

"Um, Jacqueline-chan…?," Kiku said, obviously kind of clueless of why I screamed into the sky like a crazy person, "Are you alright?..."

"I-I'm fine!," my face was turning pink from running, embarrassment, and the heat. "Say, why don't we get going?"

"A-Ano, sure.," Kiku replied, probably a little appalled at my 'OTAKU' t-shirt.

We aimlessly walked out to the city around the World Academy.

"So…do you like anime?," I asked him, hey, I wanted to find more fellow otaku.

"Um, yeah.," he replied rather quietly.

"What genre do you prefer?," I asked.

"Um, I try to read a little of everything.," Kiku said. "You prefer shounen anime, right?"

"Yeah, definitely, but I love anime with characters that make me laugh, too.," I added.

"D-Do you want to go eat somewhere or something?," Kiku asked.

"Um, no thanks-," I said, but was interrupted by my loud-ass stomach's growling, which succeeded in exposing my lie. "On second thought, why not?"

Well, luckily, the street that we were walking down had like, twenty different restaurants and…stuff. So, he led me into one that he said he hung out a couple days a week with Feliciano and Ludwig. We found a window seat and sat in silence for a moment.

"So…what does 'The Hetalian' (name of the school newspaper, DON'T ASK, it was Feliciano's idea, according to Ludwig) want with me?," I asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"W-Well, you're a new student and you've already built quite a reputation in only a little over a month, so the students want to get to know you on a personal level.," Kiku explained.

Weird, but I kind of had a feeling that this wasn't for the school newspaper, but I enjoyed talking to this kid, O.K.?

"Hm, for starters, I….FREAKING…LOVE…ANIME.," I said.

"Well, it's nice to know that there's another otaku here now.," Kiku said.

"Um…I…like Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.," I continued. "I LOVE POCKY and Japanese food, too, excluding sushi and all seafood…"

"Y-You h-hate sushi?," Kiku asked, looking confused.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I-," I stuttered.

"It's fine.," he said.

I went on rambling about myself while Kiku patiently listened and placed a small order for the waiter. If you know me well, this probably went on for a half an hour.

Sighing a little, I asked, "Well, now that I've given a thorough description of my short life, how about you?"

"Well, I represent the nation of Japan…," Kiku started. "I'm kind of prone to culture shock sometimes…"

"Don't worry, I get that too whenever I go to a new country.," I said. "Go on."

"Um, I like anime and manga…," Kiku continued.

"Hm, the anime conventions in your country must be really fun.," I said.

"I'm sure that America's anime conventions are also pretty good.," Kiku said.

"They are, but they're in other states, there's only, like, one near where I live. The problem is that it's during the school year, I wish there was one during the summer…," I explained.

"Oh, that's unfortunate.," Kiku replied.

"I've always wanted to go to Japan at least _once_ in my life, but it's a bit expensive going there from New York.," I said.

Another awkward silence came and I glanced at my watch on my left wrist. The time was 4:15 now, crap…Alfred's probably supposed to be calling me soon. I've got to end this date-I mean...UGH, whatever you want to call it, soon.

"Um, I'm sorry, but I have another…'appointment' soon-," I started to explain to Kiku, but my phone started ringing America's personal ringtone I had for him: 'American Idiot' by Green Day, awesome song, by the way. "Shi-! H-Hello? I'm sorry Kiku-"

"Hi! It's me!," Alfred almost screamed from the other end of the line.

"Who's that?," Kiku asked.

"Um, it's-," I tried to respond.

"Yo, Jack!," Alfred said.

"Hey, my name isn't Jack!-," I screamed into the phone, startling Kiku.

"I know, your name is-," Kiku said, accidentally thinking that I was referring to him.

"No, not you-," I replied.

"Hey!," Alfred said. "Where do you want me to pick you up?"

"Look, Alfred, I'm in the middle of something with Kiku, I'll call you back later.," I said, hanging up on him.

"Um, I'm sorry for-," Kiku started to apologize.

"I-It's nothing.," I reassured him that he wasn't a nuisance. "I had to help tutor Alfred on Tuesday and he wants to do something as thanks for-"

"Oh, you must have a lot of patience to work with him.," Kiku said.

"Yeah, right? But at least he's trying. Some other kids I've had to tutor are, like, a thousand times worse.," I said. "Well, I'm sorry that I have to cut this short, but-"

"It's no problem, I'll see you around, since we're in the same homeroom and some classes.," Kiku replied.

"It was nice talking to you, by the way, I usually can't see you a lot. You're in the Manga Research Club and I'm in Orchestra-," I went on, until 'American Idiot' started playing again. "Sorry. Hello?"

"So, where are you? You're not at the gate.," Alfred asked.

"I'm on that street about twenty restaurants on it, does that help?," I asked.

"Yeah, it has that Chinese restaurant with the red lanterns out on the corner, right?," Alfred continued to question me on my whereabouts.

"Yeah, is that enough to-?," I wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to get lost or something.

"Yeah! I'm on my way!," Alfred exclaimed, hanging up.

"Well, that was Alfred, he's on his way.," I said, putting my cell phone away. "I'm sorry for being so rude, I didn't want to say no to either of you-"

"Like I said, it's fine, I understand.," Kiku said.

In about fifteen seconds, I heard the screeching tires of a motorcycle outside. You guessed it…it was Alfred.

"Sorry, I have to go. See you tomorrow.," I said, standing up to leave.

Kiku came outside with me after paying the bill. Alfred still had his motorcycle helmet on as he shortly parked it parallel to the sidewalk.

"Hey, Kiku! I didn't know that you asked her out too-!," Alfred said.

"It wasn't a date.," Kiku interrupted him.

"O.K., whatever you say.," Alfred replied, then handed me an extra helmet. "Let's go!"

"S-Sure.," I said, a little nervous about getting on the motorcycle. "Are you sure this is safe?"

Alfred started the motorcycle again and said, "Of course it's safe! You're riding with 'the HERO'!"

Ugh,…typical Alfred…I hopped onto the backseat and put my arms around him.

"Ready?," he turned around.

"Yeah.," I said, nervous.

In the next .5 seconds, I found myself screaming like hell. Was Alfred trying to beat the speed of light or something? My hair tie was literally ripped out of my hair when we left, hopefully not hitting poor Kiku in the face…But, I have to admit, I loved the thrill of the wind in my hair as Alfred almost crashed into incoming traffic and I screamed like a little girl…

"There's this place in the city that I want to show you, we'll get there in a minute or so, so hold on!," Alfred screamed over the noise of the traffic.

"O.K.!," I screamed back.

When Alfred said 'a minute or so,' we ended up getting lost for about fifteen minutes or so, but whatever, this city is huge and easy to get lost in anyway. Now, it was about 5:05 in the afternoon and the sky began to turn a pinkish-reddish color as the sun was setting. Quite the perfect moment in a soap opera or something, no? Once Alfred found his way again, he had driven us out past the outskirts of the city to the beautiful hill and meadow-like landscape that surrounded the city.

"Hey! Where are we going?," I asked him.

"You'll see!," Alfred said with his trademark perfect smile.

I sighed and started to get a little nervous, being the naturally really really worrisome person I am. Eventually, Alfred stopped at this place that overlooked the whole city at around 5:25, just a few twenty minutes later. (yeah, 'a few twenty mintues')

We also had to do a bit of hiking to get to the top of this cliff/hill thing that gave us an awesome view of the city.

"Wow…," I said. "It's awesome to come here at sunset, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sometimes when the day isn't going well, or when I'm annoyed, I come here. Although Arthur gets mad at me sometimes.," Alfred said.

"Hmmm…," I replied, looking around, observing the scenery.

The whole sky now was almost like a something by Monet with dream-like shades of pink, purple, yellow, and orange mixed in together. I sighed, I would rarely ever get moments like this, you know, with school and everything else.

"So…do you like it at the World Academy?," Alfred asked.

"It's awesome, everyone here is really nice (a little weird) and there's a diverse amount of different nationalities.," I said. "The classes aren't hard, too and there's a lot of extra-curricular things to do too."

"Too bad, you can't stay, huh?," Alfred looked down.

"Yeah, that sucks, right?," I felt a little sad at the fact that I couldn't stay forever, even though I really REALLY wanted to…

"You know, the teacher gave back our quiz-thingies today in class.," Alfred suddenly changed the subject.

"What did you get?," I asked.

"Guess!," Alfred said.

"90 and above.," I guessed.

"100!," Alfred exclaimed. "That's the highest grade I've ever gotten in any math class! Arthur didn't believe it at first, hey, no one believed it-"

I sighed, he wasn't a genius, but it was a start…I turned to talk to him again, but the expression on his face was a bit off.

"What? Is there something wrong with my face?," I frantically said.

"No, but are your eyes actually amber or something? They look different.," Alfred said, examining the sudden change in the appearance of my eyes.

"Oh, the sunlight does that, and to my hair.," I explained. "Don't worry about it."

"They even look red if you stare hard enough.," Alfred added, leaning in forward.

"W-What?," I tried to back away, but apparently, my feet were protesting to do so…ugh…this was SO…AWKWARD.

His bright blue eyes gazed into my shit-colored/brown/reddish brown ones and I felt paralyzed. What the hell was I supposed to do? This was like a soap opera-like moment, so the obvious thing to do is to kiss or hug (or both) him. But I didn't like him, or did I?- NO, I don't like Alfred F. Jones that way!

"You, it's getting cold-," I spoke up, only to have the guy wrap his arms around me again…DAMN he was tall.

The wind seemed to back off once I found myself in this awkward position. We were both silent, I could feel my heart pounding like crazy, it felt weird…Just what the fuck was going on?!?!

"Well, it's about time we head back, right?," I said.

"Yeah, Arthur will KILL me if I'm not back by the 6:30 curfew.," Alfred said.

We didn't say a word to each other on the ride back the campus.

_To be continued_


	7. Chapter 7

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 7:**

O.K., following that awkward date-UGH I didn't mean _that_, call it whatever you want, I bet you all are thinking, "Oooooohhh! So she likes Alfred?!?" or "Or maybe she likes somebody else?!?" I hate to disappoint all of you, but _**nothing is going to happen, I can promise you that.**_

Now, moving away from the topic, I called Raivis once I got back home because of the messages Toris and Eduard had left me on my room's answering machine. Neither of them were picking up when I called when I returned that evening, and Raivis was luckily available to talk.

"Hi! I'm so sorry for calling this late…," I greeted him.

"O-Oh, i-it's f-fine.," Raivis replied. "Toris and Eduard told me about the whole study party idea this afternoon. W-Where w-were you?"

"I'm SO SO SO sorry, Raivis. I had to meet up with Kiku Honda and Alfred F. Jones today-," I explained.

"So you're dating _both _of them?!?," Raivis' voice rose in volume for the first time…like, _ever._

"NO!," I exclaimed. "You read _way_ too many romantic novels, you know?"

"A-Anyone would a-assume the s-same thing.," Raivis said.

"Ugh, this is so off-topic.," I said, trying to pry away from discussing my social and love life. "Well, where are the four of us meeting?"

"Toris said that he'd be happy to let us come over, my room is a mess while Eduard's is full of some hich-tech stuff that he won't let any of us come within twenty-five centimeters of.," Raivis continued.

"Listen, tell them that we can meet over at my place instead, it's not as messy as you'd think. I can make room for the rest of you, too. I don't mind.," I said.

"Well, I-I'll talk to the others f-first.," Raivis replied. "Good-bye!"

"Later.," I said my farewell before hanging up the phone.

In case you're all still wondering about what's going on, Toris and Eduard decided to meet up for a last-minute cram-study-and-feast-on-instant-ramen party on Sunday before our final exams took place this coming week. Ugh, I always get so anxious and nervous about tests for literally no reason…so this was a good opportunity to cram that I _must_ take advantage of!

So, it's best that I get some shut-eye, I've got the gay-ass ballroom dancing class…(shiver in fear and disgust)

As the weird and old dance teacher went on rambling about the tango, I looked in despair at the clock. Just when was lunch going to roll around?-

"Miss Jacqueline-!," she exclaimed.

"Yeah?," I replied.

"Your partner for today is Lovino Vargas.," she said, then went down the list with the different couples this week.

Vargas…Vargas…wasn't that Feliciano's last name? I didn't know that he had a brother until a student with a similar curl like Feliciano's (but on the opposite side) and a darker reddish-brown color for his hair approached.

"So, what are you waiting for?," he glared at me.

Boy, I could tell that I wasn't going to like this kid very much…

However, Lovino wasn't half bad at dancing, to my surprise. Once again, the teacher was amazed at the 'fluency, flow, and accuracy' of our steps. Just what the hell was this teacher seeing?!? Both of us were almost tripping over each other's feet, it was a surprise to me that we didn't fall over yet. She soon walked away from the two of us and I decided to bring up a conversation.

"So, are you Feliciano's brother?," I asked him.

"Yeah, hard to believe that I'm related to such an idiot.," Lovino replied.

"He is a bit hyper and all, isn't he?," I continued. "So I'm guessing that you two don't get along well."

"Class! Stop speeding up, dance in time with the music!," I heard the teacher yell from the other end of the dance floor.

"I guess, Feliciano and I don't really know each other well and he tends to hang out with different people than I do.," Lovino continued.

"Well, I understand, I have an annoying little brother back home, too. Drives me insane…," I replied, muttering the last three words in a softer, quieter tone.

"Ha! What's he like?," Lovino asked.

"Annoying in every way possible.," I retorted. "By the way, how did you get so good at the tango?"

"Don't ask, Antonio Carriedo taught me when we were little.," Lovino replied before the teacher screamed, "SILENCE!"

Everyone stopped the dancing and parted with their partners.

"That was a good lesson, class! Keep practicing!," the teacher dismissed us, FINALLY.

Unlike the first ballroom dancing class with Iggy as my partner, this was turning out to be an interesting way to waste some time.

Give me an L…U…N…C…H!!! What does that spell? LUNCH!!! Ah, my favorite part of the day, with the exception of the dismissal time at 2:30, 3:00 when you're in a club. I sat with the three Baltic Nations today, since most of the girls had 'prior engagements' today and God-knows-what-the-heck-they-were-doing.

"Hello!," I cheerfully said to the three of them.

"Hi!," Raivis was the first to reply for once.

"Where were you yesterday?," Toris asked.

I glared at Raivis, making him shiver, seems that he forgot to tell Toris and Eduard…_lovely._

"Well-," I began.

"She was on a double-date with Kiku Honda and Alfred Jones!-," Raivis replied to Toris' question.

"LATVIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!," I screamed, scaring the crap out of all three of them. "It wasn't a date, I swear! Go ask Kiku and Alfred yourself!"

I nearly froze after I screamed at poor Raivis since the _WHOLE FREAKING CAFETERIA HEARD ME._ I sunk in my seat, trying to spare myself the embarrassment. Looking over to the other tables, Alfred and Kiku were doing the same thing, poor guys…I _REALLY _shouldn't have said that…

"I-I'm s-sorry!," Raivis said. "Y-You can b-be almost as s-scary as R-Russia when y-you're mad…"

"Oh, I'm sorry.," I apologized.

"So, let's just say that you were 'busy' yesterday-," Toris said.

"That's what she said.," Eduard commented while eating his lunch.

"Shut up.," I glared at him too. "So, if you guys don't mind, we can meet at my room this weekend if you want."

"You sure you don't mind?," Toris asked.

"Yeah, it's totally fine.," I said. "That way, neither of you three will have to clean up after the huge mess that I'll most likely make."

"We're just studying, we're not-," Eduard spoke up.

"Trust me, I have a shitload of pocky and if you've seen the amount of paperwork that I keep, it's going to be freaking chaos on Sunday.," I replied.

"O.K., gotta open these windows!," I grunted, trying to open my room's windows on Sunday, nervously trying to get my room to look decent for the guys today.

Unfortunately, my window was being an ass by not opening today. Really, out of all the days this week, it was finally sunny and whatnot and I just so happened to want to let some air in. Fate, being the cruel bitch that it is, decided to ruin this day even further when I heard about three voices outside. Also, in being the _NICE, CARING, AND POLITE_ person I am (don't you say a word, AnonymousM), I didn't want to keep them waiting.

"Coming!," I yelled at the door, yes, I scream at inanimate objects, GOT A PROBLEM WITH IT?!?

Before running to the door, I had to quickly change into something decent, hey, I didn't want to come out in my Hello Kitty pajamas. (DON'T TELL CHINA, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T…) Nearly colliding with my closet wall, I had to dig out a green, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of DKNY jeans, and a pair of fluffy black socks (DO NOT ASK, I LOVE FLUFFY SOCKS….M'KAY?).

Opening the door, there was Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, probably my three best guy friends (HA! SEE!?! I DIDN'T SAY _BOYFRIEND!_) here at the World Academy.

"Hello!," I happily said, letting them in. "You can put your stuff down somewhere. The floor, that couch, that side table…or something…"

Well, for the first twenty minutes of the study/cram party, it was pretty quiet with the exception of Eduard's typing.

"Say…who here has the Global History Final first tomorrow?," I asked.

"I do, we're in the same class, remember?," Toris said.

"Oh, but yet again, we're in nearly every single class together.," I added. "…Does anyone want anything to eat?"

"What do you have?," Raivis asked.

Walking into the kitchen, I said, "Um, Chef Boyardee, Spaghetti O's, Pocky, some instant ramen, basically stuff I'll have to microwave."

"Bring over some Pocky, Japan keeps insisting us to try it.," Eduard said, pausing his typing for a moment.

I reached into the cabinet that was basically where I stash all of my Pocky and brought out a box of chocolate ones, strawberry ones, and vanilla/milk flavored ones: the three basic Pocky flavors (in my opinion).

"Well, who here likes chocolate?," I asked, opening the chocolate one first.

"I'll take one.," Raivis said, taking the small breadstick dipped in chocolate. "It's pretty good."

"I know, Pocky is, like, the BEST FOOD…_EVER_, in my opinion.," I replied, taking out a chocolate one too. "Anyone else?"

Eduard resumed his typing on his Mac and I couldn't help but be the nosy American I am and eavesdrop on what he was browsing. He was on Wikipedia, sigh, how typical…researching..._pocky_...I never knew that Wikipedia had a page for pocky! (But yet again, Wikipedia has something for, like, everything.)

"You know, Japan is always talking about this Pocky eating game that people in his country sometimes play on occasions like this.," Eduard closed his laptop, turning to the rest of us.

"Oh, yeah! I think I've heard of it…," I pondered my mind bank of anime and manga.

"Can I try it?," Toris asked.

"O.K., if my recollection serves me right, we have to take a single stick of Pocky…," I said, taking out a strawberry one, my favorite. "And…each of us has to start on either side of it and keep eating until one of us eats the most of the Pocky."

"W-Wouldn't that meant that you two w-would…," Raivis said. "…k-kiss?-"

"OMG, I totally forgot!," I said, my cheeks probably turning pink again. "Maybe I'll get Elizaveta and Roderich to do this, MWAHAHAHA-"

"Well, I still want to try, we'll just have to be careful, I guess.," Toris said. "Or maybe I could get Natalia to come-"

"NOOOOOOOOO!," Raivis begged the other Baltic nation. "S-She s-scares m-me m-more t-than R-Russia!!!"

"Please don't Toris.," Eduard added, with a rather grim face.

"She'll break your limbs again, and you know it.," I said.

"I guess…," Toris said.

"Well, let's get back to 'studying' then!," I exclaimed, bringing out my Global History textbook.

"Can we put on some music, at least?," Raivis asked me. "Who here brought their iPod?"

"I did!," I raised my hand, then stumbled towards the iHome device-thingy I had brought from home on the nightstand next to my bed.

Turning my iPod on, I immediately started blasting "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi (Once again, DON'T ASK, I've got an 'abnormal' choice in music. So, if you've got a problem, please go away.).

"_Shot through the heart, and you're to blame! Darling, you give love a bad name!,"_ I stood up and sang into my microphone/hairbrush while the three Baltic nations stared at me like I was crazy.

"No comment.," Eduard resumed his typing, this time, he was on Facebook…CRAP! (hope he didn't get any video of me singing like a moron just now…)

"What…are…you…typing?!?," I leaped to the desk where Eduard had put his laptop on.

"Nothing, just talking to Sealand.," he replied.

O.K., he actually was, but what kind of a country is Sealand?!?

"What's Sealand?," I asked.

"Oh, he's England's younger brother, but he hates him.," Toris said. "He's in the World Academy middle school somewhere else."

Glancing at Eduard's profile, nearly everyone in the school had a Facebook account: Alfred, Arthur, Kiku, Ivan, Yao, Im Yong Soo, Natalia, Ukraine, Seychelles, Vietnam, even Liechtenstein! I took out my laptop and decided to mess with Eduard for a while.

Commencing Operation: Annoy Estonia. First, I logged onto Facebook for the first time in about three months. (Yeah, not an active user, am I?) Next step: search Eduard von Bock. I found his profile and sent a friend request.

"Hm? A new friend request?," Eduard said, puzzled at who this person could be, little did he know it was me. (I didn't use my REAL name, obviously.)

I then got a notification saying: You and Eduard von Bock are now friends. Now, to join in on the chat!

_Ryuusei Seiun (ME): Hi!  
Eduard von Bock: Hello?  
Ryuusei Seiun: Do you go to the World Academy?  
Eduard von Bock: Yes.  
Ryuusei Seiun: OMG, you're SO lucky! I wish I could go there!  
Eduard von Bock: …Yeah…  
Alfred F-ing Jones: hi edward!  
Eduard von Bock: It's EDUARD, NOT EDWARD.  
Alfred F-ing Jones: yea, whatev, who's ur new friend?  
Eduard von Bock: I don't know.  
Alfred F-ing Jones: hi!  
_

I then motioned Raivis and Toris to come around my laptop quietly. I was on my bed, so the two of them had to go sit on either side of me (I KNOW that sounded wrong, make any innuendos you want, whatever...).

_Ryuusei Seiun: Hi America!  
Alfred F-ing Jones: how did u kno that i'm a country?  
Ryuusei Seiun: It's so interesting to meet my country!  
Alfred F-ing Jones: omg, you're american?!? :o  
Ryuusei Seiun: Yep!  
Alfred F-ing Jones: ur name sounds japanese, tho, let me go get kiku first!  
_…  
_Kiku Honda: Konnichiwa.  
Ryuusei Seiun: Genki desu ka?  
Alfred F-ing Jones: omg, u speak japanese?  
Ryuusei Seiun: Not really, some Spanish, though.  
Alfred F-ing Jones: i'll go get spain!  
_…_  
Antonio Fernandez Carriedo: Hola!  
Ryuusei Seiun: Que tal? (sorry, my laptop doesn't come w/accents and stuff)  
Antonion Fernandez Carriedo: Alfred, what the heck is going on, do I know her?!?  
Alfred F-ing Jones: i thought that edward did…  
Eduard von Bock: I DON'T KNOW WHO SHE IS!!! MY NAME IS EDUARD, NOT EDWARD.  
Ivan Braginski: Hello, everyone! (:  
Ryuusei Seiun: Hi.  
Natalia Arlovskaya: Hello, my dearest Ivan.  
Liechtenstein Zwingli: Hi everyone!  
Vash Zwingli: HI!  
Yao Wang: Ni hao!  
Ludwig Beilschmidt: …  
Feliciano Vargas: Ciao!  
Lovino Vargas: Antonio, this is what you left me for?!? ):  
Gilbert 'Prussia' Beilschmidt: YEAH, I'M AWESOME!  
Im Yong Soo: Aniki! HI!  
Peter 'Sealand' Kirkland: Greetings from the World Academy Middle School and from yours truly, Sealand!_

...

Arthur Kirkland: WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!?!??!??!??!

…  
_Francis Bonnefoy: Bonjour!  
Seychelles: Hi Francis!  
Eduard von Bock: WHY IS EVERYONE JOINING THIS CHAT?!?! AND WHO THE HECK IS 'RYUUSEI SEIUN,' if there is such a person?!?!  
Ryuusei Seiun: Eduard, look to your right._

Eduard turned toward a laughing Latvia and Lithuania (and me, of course) staring at my laptop.

"_YOU'RE _Ryuusei Seiun?!?," Eduard screamed.

_Eduard von Bock: 'Ryuusei Seiun' is Jackie, everyone…(-.-)'  
Alfred F-ing Jones: orly?!? jackie! u nearly scared everybody…  
Feliciano Vargas: Ve?~  
Lovino Vargas: Damn it, Jackie, use your real name.  
Ryuusei Seiun: Sorry, I don't feel comfortable giving away my real name…  
Vash Zwingli: WTF  
Arthur Kirkland: Seriously, what the hell was going on?!? Estonia, if you didn't know who she was, why did you add her as a friend?  
Eduard von Bock: Anyone can be friends on Facebook, England. If we were more like you, we'd all only have, like, 30 friends.  
Ryuusei Seiun: I don't befriend just anybody too, so excuse me if I'm really choosy with who I'm friends with online. Bye._

Turning off my laptop, I dug into my history textbook again while I let my iHome thing play my Vocaloid playlist. Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania all resumed the awkward silence that we originally were stuck with. After about an hour or so, we were all sick of staring at our textbooks.

So, breaking the silence, I asked, "So…what's going on online, Eduard?"

"Log onto Facebook.," he replied.

When I logged in again, I had almost fifty friend requests: Alfred F-ing Jones, Kiku Honda, Arthur Kirkland, Liechtenstein, Vietnam, Yao Wang, Im Yong Soo, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, Feliciano Vargas, Lovino Vargas, Ludwig Beilschmidt, Gilbert Beilschmidt, Heracles Karpusi, Sadiq Adnan (A.K.A. Turkey), Elizaveta Hedervary, Roderich Edelstein, and pretty much everyone else I knew at the World Academy. It took about five minutes to accept all of their requests, since I didn't want to be rude, I mean, just because you're friends with someone online doesn't mean that you're necessarily the best of friends in real life.

(**A/N: It is unconfirmed of Liechtenstein's human name or if she takes her brother's last name, Zwingli, same thing goes for Ludwig's last name.)**

"There's this intensifying conversation between Seychelles and France, too…," Eduard said, continuing his typing.

"I have to see this…," I said, logging back into the website that I personally thought was absolutely fucking retarded.

_Seychelles: Francis?...  
Francis Bonnefoy: Oui?..._

"Goddamn it, Seychelles, tell him already!!!," I screamed at the laptop and Latvia started shivering like hell again.

"Just who are you talking to, Jackie?," Toris asked me.

"Um…my laptop?...," I replied, totally embarrassed.

"No comment…," Estonia added, returning to the affairs of his own laptop.

Sighing, my eyes widened at the text that appeared on the chat box:

_Francis Bonnefoy: Je__ t'aime, Seychelles._

WAS I FUCKING DREAMING?!? (FYI: What Francis just posted literally translated to "I love you, Seychelles." in English.) Seems that relationships here at the World Academy come and go pretty fast…I mean, these people represent countries and if you know your history pretty well, unions between two countries don't last too long…(*cough* Austria-Hungary *cough*)

"What the…?!?," Eduard looked at his laptop's screen in shock. "After all the drama from last year? I can't believe it…"

"OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!," I jumped for joy on my bed like a maniac, scaring poor Raivis again…whoops.

After my huge drama with whatever happened online, I calmed down a bit. (when I mean a bit, it means that I've gone from screaming maniac to randomly laughing idiot) Unfortunately, I think my unstable mental condition at the time scared off Raivis and Eduard. They both claimed to have had to meet up with someone else: Raivis said he had to go see Sealand and Eduard was supposed to have gone and seen Finland, or was it Sweden? Whatever…that left me and Toris staring at our textbooks in silence for a while.

"So…hey, I haven't been able to talk to you for a while…so how's life?," I nervously asked Toris, I obviously lacked experience in starting a conversation.

"N-Nothing much, really…," he said, still concentrating on the textbook he was holding.

"I've heard that you like Natalia from quite a lot of people, ever think of getting a second date with her?," I asked.

"Why do you ask?," Toris replied.

"Hmmm…I don't know…I just think you two look cute together.," I thought up of a lie, or just something to say. "Back in New York, I would be months behind school gossip that basically 97% of the school knew already, so I might as well have a fresh start here and have a decent social life."

"You really think so?...," Toris asked.

"Sure, Ivan doesn't seem to like her more than a sister…and no one is stopping you…what do you have to lose? (besides your limbs…)," I said. "After the finals this week, I'll come with you to ask her, if you want."

"Hm…that could possibly work.," Toris said. "I guess I could try-"

"That's the spirit! Don't give up on her!," I cheerfully gave a mini-pep talk, then changed the subject. "Hey, want anymore pocky?"

I held out a box near my books.

"Um, O.K.," he hesitantly took out one.

"You know, I almost got a couple of friends and I to play that pocky game once…I didn't succeed, but the results were hilarious.," I said, taking one for myself.

"You want to try?," Toris asked.

"Um, it'd be a bit awkward-," I replied.

"We don't have to-"

"It's fine, here.," I took out another stick of pocky, smiling. "Perfect practice for when you're with Natalia, no?"

He hesitated a little, but whatever.

"Note that I consume about a pack of pocky everyday, so I won't go easy on you.," I grinned, trying to speak clearly with the stick of pocky in my mouth. "Ready?...Go!"

Turns out, this game is a lot harder than how the anime I watched depicted it. About three times, the thing was about to fall out, which was really a pain in the neck, literally. After five minutes of struggling to keep the thing from falling, I decided to just pick up the pace and started chomping the pocky. Before I knew it, I had almost eaten half of it and we were-

"Shi-!," I almost cursed as the pocky broke a split second before…you know…

After a moment of awkward silence, I said, "So, Friday after the English final, I'll see you?"

"Yeah, later.," Toris then gathered the textbooks and stuff he brought over and left.

I sighed, "Phew! That was close!"

Ugh, I could've sworn that it was like, 97 degrees (Fahrenheit) in all of the classrooms during the finals. I don't want to bore you of the details of bubbling in a circle with a mechanical pencil for two hours, so let's skip to…Friday! (TGIF!)

Thanks to the finals, ballroom dancing class was cancelled. Unfortunately, the traffic after the last final was given was absolutely horrible! I found myself completely squished in between the students that continued to shove me out of their way. In fact, as I approached the last stairway, some jerk behind me pushed me and as hilarious as it may sound, but it was not fun falling face-first down a set of stairs.

"Jerk! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!?," I yelled, trying to getting up, my back feeling sore from the fall.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!," I heard rapid footsteps coming my way and what sounded like "~aru" at the end of that sentence.

A hand was stretched out toward me, it was China.

"Wha-?!? Oh, I'm sorry I yelled at you!," I said, taking his hand, finally able to stand on two feet.

"It should be me who should be sorry. (~aru)," he said.

"It's O.K., I have to get going.," I said, starting to run towards the exit to find Toris.

"Are you sure you're O.K.?!? (~aru)," China asked.

"Hell, yeah! I feel fine!," I yelled back, dashing through the doors.

I found Toris, alone, in the front courtyard.

"What happened!?!," I panted, air running low.

"She said yes!," Toris said, but I noticed that he was limping a little on his right leg.

"Hm, let me guess: she kicked you in the shin before you persuaded her-," I said.

"Yep, it was painful, but I'd take a thousand kicks in the shin for her.," Toris replied, shyly smiling.

"Well, let's get going, get your leg moving and maybe it won't hurt as much later.," I suggested.

_To be continued_


	8. Chapter 8

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 8:**

Well, thank God that finals' week is finally over! In addition to that, I was able to convince Toris to get a second date with Natalia, really, I'm ready to squeal like a rabid fan girl right now!...

Yeah…I think you get my point.

"WHAT?," Seychelles responded to the shocking news of Toris and Natalia's second date when I told her that following afternoon. "ARE YOU INSANE?"

"Um, yes.," I replied. "Whenever anyone brings up Natalia's name, that's all he'll ramble on about, it gets annoying after a while…"

"You aren't jealous, are you?-," Seychelles asked.

"NO!," I yelled back, feeling my cheeks go hot.

"Awwww…," the brunette said. "Well, sorry, but count me out on this one, Jackie."

I sighed, "It's O.K., I didn't mean to bring you into this, I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow!," Seychelles waved as she ran off in another direction.

Suddenly, I had realized that it was Monday! Crap! I was supposed to meet Im Yong Soo at the dojang (Korean for training hall)!

"Shit!," I cursed, running back into the school building.

I had to quickly change into my dobok (Korean for uniform), salute the flag, and apologize for having forgotten to come.

"Ahn yang ha sae yo! ("How are you" in Korean)," I greeted Im Yong Soo.

"You're late! Give me fifty push-ups!," he turned to me, acting pretty serious for once.

"Yes, sir.," I said, getting on my knees, when he started laughing. "What's so funny! What's so funny with a girl doing push-ups?"

"Never mind, you're way too serious, sometimes, you know?," Korea said, returning to his usual happy-go-lucky mode. "It's O.K., I'll forgive you this time for being late, now, you want to practice the nunchakus?"

"Sure! Let me just go get my pair-," I said, standing up.

"Whatever, take these.," Im Yong Soo handed over another pair of nunchakus to me, but they were made out of metal!

"Really? You're letting me use these?," I exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, I trust you.," he replied, getting out his personal pair.

Wow,… perhaps this guy isn't as bad as Yao and Kiku always complain about…Really: 'I trust you'…that must mean something-

"Well, are you ready?," he turned to me, nuncakus in hand.

"Y-Yes, sir.," I replied, resuming the ready stance.

After a very tiring fifty minutes of practice, I ran into Ukraine while heading back to my room.

Bumping into the taller woman, I apologized, "Oh, sorry!"

"I-It's O.K.," Ukraine smiled. "Say, my sister got a date with that Lithuanian, right?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?," I said.

"He said that you helped him work up the courage to ask her out…again. Can you help me ask this one boy out?," Ukraine shyly asked in a quieter tone.

Shocked and surprised, I stuttered, "W-Which boy?"

"The one that looks like America, but he's nicer.," Ukraine described.

"Matthew Williams?," I asked.

"Y-Yes, the one who carries around a polar bear?," she further explained.

"Yeah! He's really shy, though-," I said.

"I-It's O.K.! He isn't obnoxious and doesn't always stare at my chest, and just seeing Natalia get another date, I guess I felt sort of lonely…," Ukraine said.

I could seriously sympathize with what she was feeling, really, last year, my school was crawling with happy couples and all that romance crap. Perhaps I was getting jealous-NO! I wasn't, I was ANNOYED at how they couldn't wait to take it outside school and it was disgusting to watch some bitch and her boyfriend make out in the hallway!

"Well, go ahead and just ask him, I don't think he'll be too busy now, so maybe you two can go out today.," I said, offering my words of wisdom.

"T-Thanks, I'll see you later!," she waved good-bye.

I sighed, perhaps helping people out rather than yelling and beating them up isn't so bad after all…seeing how I'm not exactly the best person to discuss love and all that crap…

I continued my way up the stairs to the third floor. As usual, I put my stuff down, changed into something casual, and turned on my laptop. I started the Safari web browser and saw that I had a couple of e-mails:

_StarKitty888: _Yo Jackie! How's ur new school? We miss you back in New York, I hope you didn't make _that_ big of a mess at that prissy rich kid place! jk XD

I started laughing, my friend sarcastic Dannie, ah, she hasn't changed a bit since I left…

_MurasakiKamikaze69: _Hi Jackie! I'm SO sorry that I haven't been able to talk to you in a while…high school has been crazy, as usual. Well, I hope you're doing O.K. at that World Academy place, but why should I even be asking that? You've been pretty good at school and stuff, being half-Asian and what not, …just kidding! Later! -Sasha

After a minute of clearing out my inbox, I felt my eyes tearing up, I never realized of how much I'd be missing my New York friends already…or perhaps it was from staring at a computer screen too long-

"Hello?," a voice came from my door.

"Who is it?," I yelled.

"It's me!," the voice said again.

Recognizing the voice, it was Toris, probably here to ask me about shit like, 'What flowers should I get for Natalia?.' By now, he should realize that I epically fail at being slightly girly.

Opening the door, he was holding a bunch of dress shirts and what not.

"Which do you think looks better?," he held up two shirts.

"Well, I haven't seen you in them, so-," I retorted, not really in the mood for this.

"Can I-," he started to ask, but I knew what he was going to say.

"Sure, come in, the bathroom's over there. Hurry up, you don't need to keep Natalia waiting.," I said, opening the door, letting him in.

I sat on my stomach on my bed, staring at the random stuff on my laptop, waiting for Toris to come out. In about a minute, he came out in one of the two dress shirts he brought over.

Glancing at him for a minute I said, "Try on the other one, too."

After that, I resumed my pointless web browsing. Five minutes had passed and I was starting to get worried, what was taking him so long? So I stood up and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Hey, are you O.K.?," I lightly hit my two front knuckles on the door, accidentally swinging the door open. "What the-?"

The door had revealed Toris' bare back…covered in what looked like scars.

"I'm so sorry!," I bowed down my head, then lifted it slightly up. "When and how did you get those scars?-"

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't completely shut the door.," Toris replied, obviously embarrassed.

Taking one more look at him, I said, "You know, this one looks a lot better on you than the last."

"Really? Thanks!," he said. "Can you give me a minute?"

I shut the bathroom door completely before walking away. Returning to my laptop, I just stared into the screen, lost in thought, completely oblivious to when Toris left. I couldn't help but keep thinking of the horrendous marks I saw…perhaps beneath Toris' sweet and innocent exterior was…something else…

News of the whole Toris and Natalia thing was buzzing the next morning. Everyone was like, 'Are they going out?' and 'Did Natalia break his fingers again?' Despite my antisocial nature, I, too, was curious of what had happened. Hey, I was the one that told this guy to go out with her again and if all of his limbs were broken again…

I gulped, fearing for the guy's safety. It would be entirely my fault if something like that had happened! Picking up the pace, I ran to 2-C's homeroom as quick as I could, Toris would most definitely be there…if he was still alive…

Frantically running through the classroom's door, I luckily bumped into him.

"OH MY GOD, YOU'RE ALIVE!," I unfortunately yelled loud enough for the rest of the class to hear me.

"Yes, why? What happened?," Toris asked.

I glanced at his fingers, they weren't broken,…he was alive,…so what exactly happened?

"So, how did your date with Natalia go?," I nervously asked.

"It went fine! She doesn't exactly hate my guts anymore, but at least she won't be breaking my fingers any time soon.," Toris smiled, obviously proud of how well his date went.

Damn, did I look like an idiot.

O.K., I've now successfully helped hook up a friend (yes, O.K., I consider Toris as a _friend_! God, you people expect me to have an interest in every man I meet like I'm in a bad fanfiction!) Now, Halloween was coming up soon, and I need an outfit, costume, anything!

Well, seeing how this story is pretty slow-paced, I'll fast forward to Saturday October 30, 2010. Frantically, looking through my closet, I found some cosplay stuff I brought over for whatever reasons I had while packing.

Holding up two outfits, I said, "Hm…Akatsuki or geisha?" (Once again, I'm sorry for the Naruto references…)

I was lost in my thoughts for a moment until I had a mini-epiphany occur in my head. Grinning, I lay the two cosplay outfits on my bed to concoct my costume for this year…

It was a dark, stormy night…NOT! On the evening of Halloween this year, the sky was quite clear, in fact. The moon shone brightly as a bunch of other student ran around in their costumes. I walked around, enjoying the evening air while heads spun as I passed.

"What is she?"

"Otaku much?"

"It looks sort of nice, though."

"Hi, Jackie!," I heard Seychelles as she ran up to me. "What are you supposed to be?"

"Akatsuki geisha! What do you think?," I said, fluttering my eyes and waving my uchiwa fan.

"My gosh, Japan is going to, like, freak out.," I heard Feliks come from behind Seychelles. "You know, he's like, really into that cosplay stuff."

"Hm, do you know where he is?," I asked.

"Nope.," the two said in unison.

"Well, has anyone else come out for tonight?," I further questioned them.

"Hm, quite a lot, but some countries don't celebrate Halloween, so expect some weird glares coming at us.," Seychelles said. "But…"

"But…what?," I asked.

"Well, every year, to my knowledge, there's this contest that Iggy holds every year to see who could scare Alfred F. Jones first.," Seychelles explained.

With an evil grin, I said, "Go on…"

"Whoever wins…well, I'm not too sure of what they would get, seeing how England has won EVERY YEAR.," Seychelles said.

"Hm, well I tend to end that.," I smiled, walking off in another direction.

"Hey! Where are you going?," Feliks asked.

"You'll see!," I turned behind my shoulder, giving a smile.

The whole campus was crawling with people dressed up as various characters, and quite a few that jerked their heads in my direction at the sight of my outfit. Well, I take pride in being an otaku, O.K.? Gosh... Well, anyway, I thought that Alfred couldn't have gotten too far, he was most likely in his room or hiding somewhere. In the mean time, I-

"Ouch! Watch it!," I exclaimed, colliding with the ever-clumsy Feliciano.

"Ve~ I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!~," Feliciano begged.

"Italy? Oh, I'm sorry! I'm not going to hurt you (but if you ruined my outfit, I promise I will hurt you…)!," I apologized before a running Ludwig and Kiku came this way.

"What the hell were you running for?," Ludwig yelled at Feliciano.

"I-It's was England…," Feliciano explained.

I sighed, poor guy, seems that Alfred wasn't Iggy's only target…

"Nani?('What' in Japanese)," I heard Kiku exclaim.

"He must like your anime-costume-thing!," Feliciano said, then poking at the Akatsuki cloud design. "This is from that ninja show, ve~?" (**A/N: Sorry, but Italy's Ve~ thing is TOO CUTE TO LEAVE OUT!)**

"Yeah! Do you watch anime?," I anxiously asked.

"No, but Nihon('Japan' in Japanese) does!," Feliciano replied before Ludwig went on rambling about how they had to take notes for the school newspaper's Halloween article for the coming week. I couldn't blame the guy, hey, if I had a deadline too, I'd be-

"Say, just where did you get this?," Kiku asked, interrupting my train of thought.

"eBay, my friend, eBay.," I said. "Oh, yeah, have any of you seen Alfred anywhere?"

"Oh, that reminds me: you do you bet will win the scare-off this year? Igirisu ('England' in Japanese) or Alfred-kun?," Kiku asked, taking out a notepad with a tally-chart scribbled on.

"Um, no thanks, I don't want to be betting on anyone!," I said. Hey, I didn't want to take side when it comes to those two…and Heracles and Sadiq…

"10,000 lira(Italy's currency) on England!," Italy said.

"Come on, you two, we're wasting time!," Ludwig interrupted.

"Well, bye!," I said, running off in my ninja shoes with heels…damn did they hurt after a while!

After a short sprint from the Axis Powers (I'm referring to Feliciano, Ludwig, and Kiku…I mean, they ARE or were the Axis Powers…whatever...), I found Toris walking aimlessly around the huge courtyard with Natalia. Boy, did they look so DAMN CUTE!

Panting as I ran toward them, I said, "Hi, have either of you seen Alfred or Arthur around? Or anywhere?"

"I'm sorry, no.," Toris replied.

"…That stupid American is probably hiding somewhere on the campus again."," Natalia coldly said, but I wouldn't blame her, I mean, I just came charging in while she and Toris were talking or something.

"Well, sorry to bother you, I gotta go.," I said, dashing off again to the far reaches of the large campus.

To my luck, I found Matthew, he's Alfred's brother, so he might know where he is! He was with Ukraine, AW, I just feel so special in having contributed to their status as an official couple!~

"Yo, Matthew!," I said, running while waving.

"Oh! Hi.," he shyly replied, holding his date's hand.

"Do…you..know where…Alfred-motherfucking-Jones is?," I angrily said, panting.

Ukraine was startled by my language, Canada was too, obviously.

"Pardon my language, though.," I apologized.

"Um, I haven't seen him since this afternoon. Sorry that I can't help you.," Matthew said before walking away with Ukraine.

I do have to admit that walking away like that was somewhat rude, but those two were too damn cute for me to yell at now. Raising my head up high, the first thing that I saw was the small garden/park thing that the school had. Well? This is a place meant for prissy rich kids, of course it's going to have a hedge maze or something!

My mood brightened up a bit as I ran into the towering trees that blocked out most of the moonlight. It was now pretty dark out, perfect for Halloween. The shadows of the trees were overlapping and gave me quite a headache trying to tell the difference between the trees' shadow and my own. I stopped sprinting and started walking, my heels clicking on the pavement. I sighed, perhaps this was just a waste of my time…but I couldn't give up yet! Yeah, that just sounded _so _cliché with the whole 'I'll never give up!,' 'I'll give it my all!' kind of talk. Seriously, that the stuff I'd read in martial arts movies and bad fanfictions-

"H-Hello?," a quivering voice said, I recognized it to be Alfred.

I felt my well-known (at least by my friends back in New York…) evil smile start to curl around my lips. Seriously! I should become an anime voice actress with the 1000 different evil laughs I have!

"Help!," I yelled faking my voice to sound hurt, but my voice penetrated the trees, reaching the crowd of students in the courtyard. Ugh, that wasn't good, but Alfred couldn't resist being the hero in stepping in and help the damsel in distress.

"H-Hey! Who're you?," he stuttered.

"Look, you want to be a hero or not?," I yelled.

"Of course!," Alfred replied.

"Then get over here and help me!," I yelled once more.

Then, I heard fast approaching footsteps among the piles of fallen leaves. Grinning, I took my leave to build up the suspense, leaving him there….alone…in the dark….

(Normal P.O.V.)

Pretty much everyone that was outside roaming the campus came running to the small park-thing where Alfred remained, already scared as hell.

"They're coming for me!," he panicked.

One figure came from the shadows, then two, ten, twenty, and then up to nearly thirty-five!

"Hey, bro, what're you doing here?," Canada spoke up, but as usual, no one excluding Ukraine noticed him.

"What's going on?," Ludwig yelled.

"Is someone hurt?," Feliciano asked.

"Hm…a false alarm?," Kiku wondered while counting the bets on his chart, seems that everyone voted on England scaring America first, as usual.

Every country gathered there, even Sealand (not too sure if he counts), wondering what the hell was going on.

"America, is this a joke?," Switzerland angrily asked, stomping toward the nation.

"T-That wasn't me!," America replied, not wanting Switzerland to take out the God-knows-how-large gun that he had. "It was this girl that cried for help! I ran over to her, being the hero and all, and then she was gone!"

"Ve~ Germany, I'm scared!," Feliciano grabbed hold of his friend's arm.

Germany looked quite annoyed and disturbed as his friend continued babbling like a little girl. Everyone else (with the exception of Russia) started getting scared, was this, perhaps, a ghost or something? Suddenly, some of the lanterns went out, almost making it pitch black.

"AHHHHH!," a mass of shrill screams erupted from the crowd.

"Calm down!," Ludwig screamed, being the voice of reason in all the hysteria. "They announced that they'd be working on the lighting this weekend, so calm down!"

An eerie silence followed among thirty-five scared students.

"IGGY IF THIS IS A JOKE, THEN YOU WIN! YOU'VE ALREADY SCARED EVERYONE ELSE, TOO!," Alfred said.

"I'm right here, you idiot.," England came from the crowd. "Just what the bloody hell is going on? If it isn't you and if it isn't me, then who's responsible for all this?"

An evil, villainous laugh then echoed through the treetops.

"_You fools…,"_ it hissed. _"Now you're all doomed…!"_

A disfigured silhouette then emerged from the treetops as this mysterious voice spoke, making everyone, and I mean EVERYONE scream like little girls.

"_Hahahahaha!,"_ the evil laughter continued as the shadowy figure jumped down from the tree tops.

Shrouded in darkness, most could only see the mysterious…_thing's_ outstretched arms, it appeared to be wearing the classic shredded, creepy robe kind of thing. The crowd shivered in fear at what this _thing_ had in mind for all of them.

"Boo!," it jumped out from the shadows, making everyone scream once again. "Surprise!" A deep feminine voice exclaimed.

Suddenly, the light posts were beaming with bright light and revealed the creepy-ghost-thingy to be no other than the otaku transfer student.

(Jacqueline's P.O.V.)

I looked around at the shocked and relieved looking faces.

"So, do I win?," I asked.

"Wait, so I've _lost?,_" Arthur exclaimed in horror. "To a girl, too?"

Conversation started among the crowd with the shocking truth: a newbie had not only successfully scared Alfred F. Jones, but pretty much everyone else. Alfred started laughing in Iggy's face and some people went complaining to Kiku about the bets that they just lost.

"Well, my work is done here.," I cheerfully skipped through the crowd and started my way back to the dorm rooms.

After setting foot outside of the small complex of trees that the crowd had remained in, the light posts grew dark once more as the crowd once again screamed like little girls…

_To be continued…_


	9. Chapter 9

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 9:**

During the following two weeks after the Halloween fiasco, nothing really happened, other than it was now November and that gave Alfred a reason to run around and hit people with a freaking football. Ouch. It felt like everything was repeating itself: go to class, lunch, more classes, and then orchestra (also the occasional hit to the head with Alfred's football). Seems like the school just completely shut down on excitement until Seychelles, under the peer pressure of Elizaveta, organized this sleepover the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Now, being under the pressure of all of the other girls, mainly Hungary, I was forced to attend. At first, I was like, 'Hey, it'll only be us and possibly Feliks, what could go wrong?' However, I didn't know that any GUYS (other than Feliks) were actually coming…

"?," I exclaimed, disturbing the peace of the second floor dorm rooms.

"Listen, only Alfred, Arthur, Francis, Feliciano, Lovino, Ludwig, and-," Seychelles tried to explain, knowing that either Arthur or a security guard would be bursting through the doors of her dorm from my screaming.

"ONLY those freaking SIX guys? I KNOW that there'll be more than that if Hungary is planning this…," I yelled. "Are you inviting the whole grade?"

"C'mon! It'll be fun!," Hungary tried to coax me into accepting the certain circumstances that came with attending one of _her_ sleepovers.

"NO."

"C'moooooooooooooonnnnnnnn!"

"NO."

"Please?"

"NO."

"Pretty please?~"

"NO."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?" (WHO SAYS this anymore?)

"…NO."

"There'll be TRUTH OR DARE!~"

I felt my eyes widen at those three words.

"O.K., I'm in.," I said, managing to produce what looked like the remnants of a smile.

What? I LOVE Truth or Dare!

"BUT, as long as we can get certain couples to play the Pocky game…with these!," I proudly held up a box of GIANT chocolate Pocky.

"You got those from Japan, didn't you?," Hungary said.

"Nope! Brooklyn is where I got them, at this Chinese supermarket or something.," I explained, then attempting to put on the mother of all evil grins, "So, are you two O.K. on my little scheme?"

Hungary responded with the obvious expression on her face that obviously told that she was thinking of her yaoi fanfictions all becoming a reality through a Pocky game. Sad, if you ask me, but I was just DYING to get Iggy to come out of his shell and tell Seychelles how he really feels. Call this a cliché set up, but what else would you expect from an otaku?

* * *

So, as poorly narrated as this story is, let's fast forward to that Saturday when we were all going to sleepover at Hungary's dorm. Yeah,…I didn't really know just _how_ I was going to live through the night, but I brought along some Sudoku, manga, and my iPod if all goes wrong.

Hungary's room was also on the third floor, a few minutes away from mine: a perfect escape route. It was now 6:00 P.M. and the whole campus fell silent. Damn curfew.

"Yo, Elizaveta! Are you there?," I asked, then the door burst open.

"Jacqueline~!," Feliciano came at me with yet another lethal hug.

"Nice-…to-…see-…you-!," I managed to gag out until Kiku and Ludwig pulled us apart.

"Thanks.," I said, rubbing my throat.

"We were just deciding whether to play 7 Minutes in Heaven or Truth or Dare!," Elizaveta said.

"Whatever, I'm fine with either.," I said, plopping my sleeping bad on the carpet floor of her dorm room.

I took out a book while the rest of them decided to resolve their conflict over a game of rock-paper-scissors. Hungary and Alfred went against each other: Hungary for 7 Minutes in Heaven and Alfred for Truth or Dare. First round: both had rock, next round: both had paper, and then both had scissors! Honestly, I thought that I'd never live to see such an EPIC game of rock-paper-scissors. Finally, after contemplating whether I should interrupt, I decided to speak up.

"Say, I've got an idea.," I said, feeling my signature evil grin creep on my face. "It's this thing I thought at the top of my head: Truth or 7 Minutes in Hell. If the person refuses to answer to whatever the 'truth' question is, then they have to spend 7 minutes in the closet with whoever the other person says so."

"Hm…," Elizaveta thought for a moment. "You know what? Let's test this out, see if this'll work out…"

I could tell that she was having 1000 mental nosebleeds over what God-less, unholy things were going through her head.

"O.K.! Everyone get in a circle.," Elizaveta commanded.

Looking around, there was quite a congregation gathered here tonight: there was Alfred (OBVIOUSLY), Arthur, Seychelles, Francis, Yao, Vietnam, Kiku, Ludwig, and Feliciano and Ivan. I knew that Natalia was stalking her brother, as usual, from Elizaveta's window. However, I felt compassionate and gave Natalia the signal that I was going to keep quiet. And, just a thought: just HOW are all of us fitting into her dorm room? Oh well, the game was starting anyway…

"Well, who wants to go first?," Elizaveta asked.

Feliciano raised his hand and said, "Me~!"

"O.K., ask someone."

"Hmmmmmm…," Feliciano uttered as he was deep in thought.

Meanwhile, I could see Ludwig in panic and prayer, possibly thinking around the lines of '_Mein Gott _(My God), PLEASE don't make him choose me!'

"I'll pick Ludwig.," Feliciano said with his usual, happy smile.

Oh well, poooooooor Germany.

"Germany, have you ever kissed a girl?," Italy asked him.

"I thought you were going to ask me a 'truth!,'" he replied, obviously uncomfortable in being put on the spotlight by innocent little Italy.

"Well, how about if I ask it like this: is it true that you've never kissed a girl?," Feliciano asked again.

"I-I-I-I'd rather not say…," Ludwig said shyly.

"Oh! Then, go spend 7 minutes in the closet with…," Feliciano scanned the room.

Hahaha…I pity poor Ludwig…and the poor sucker that has to stay with him…ALONE…IN A CLOSET…

"Jacqueline.," Italy said.

"FUCK. NO.," I retorted from behind my volume of 'Kuroshitsuji.'(**A/N: **It's a GREAT anime, WATCH IT.)

"Germany never answered my truth question, so you HAVE to go!," Italy said.

I didn't want to make the poor guy cry, and I KNOW that NONE of the other girls are going to do it. Seychelles: when it was my turn, I'm going to stick her and Iggy in the closet, MWAHAHAHA… Hungary: she's Roderich or Gilbert's girl, she's surrounded by Germans already. Vietnam…well, I plan to hook her and Yao up…_soon…_

"Alright, let's get this over with!," I said, getting up with my iPod and my beloved manga.

Elizaveta closed and LOCKED the closet door behind Ludwig and I. Luckily, he found the light switch.

"Yay! I can read my manga again.," I smiled, plopping down on the carpet floor, legs crossed, and eyes glued onto the book.

"Manga…that's Japan's books, right?," Ludwig asked.

"Yeah, and like, one of the best things to have ever come, into, like, existence.," I replied. "So, just curious: you've NEVER kissed a girl before?"

"I already made it clear outside that I wouldn't say…," he was turning red.

"You can trust me: I usually forget secrets!," I laughed. "Seriously."

I could see that he was hesitating,…but I was so damn curious that this was going to bother me until I found out. After a few moments, I could tell that he wasn't going to give in so easily.

"I pinky swear that I won't tell.," I held out my pinky.

Pathetic, I know, but, I had no choice. And really, I don't have ANYTHING against him, so I wouldn't make his life a whole lot more miserable in telling everybody.

"Alright…," he muttered quietly so that the nosy Elizaveta and Alfred outside wouldn't hear.

Yes! Got him…

"So…have you?," I whispered so quietly that I heard Alfred say out loud, "WHAT DID SHE SAY?" Then, of course, Arthur retorted, "SHUT UP, YOU BLOODY GIT!"

Ludwig pause for a few moments, obviously leaving me so anxious and nervous to what his response will be. Then, he leaned in forward and planted two kisses: one on each of my cheeks.

"Now I have.," he said quietly.

"_That didn't count.,_" I waved my index finger, kissing people on their cheeks, I knew that that was probably some European custom or something.

Ah, poor and innocent Ludwig…he'll find someone…someday…

"O.K., you two! Time's up!," Elizaveta announced as I heard her approach the closet.

Alarmed, we scooted away from each other to the opposite ends of the closet before she opened the door.

"_Kimi wa oujo, boku wa meshitsukai~,"_ I sang along with my iPod as Elizaveta just stared at the two of us. (**A/N:** By the way, those were the lyrics to the awesome song known as "Aku no Meshitsukai.")

"REALLY? COME ON!~," she whined, disappointed in not having found something worthy of blackmailing us with.

"Sorry.," I shrugged as we stood up and made our way back to our places in the circle.

Once everything was quiet again, it was Ludwig's turn to ask somebody something.

"Um, …I'll ask Russia.," he said.

Then, Italy screamed and hid behind Germany.

"So…?," Ivan asked.

"Hm, is it true that your older sister…," he hesitated to ask.

"Yes? What about her?," Ivan asked again.

"…is it true that she's been contemplating over whether to get _breast reductions?,_" Ludwig finally asked.

I saw Francis giggling in the corner. Hmph…typical Francis, I'll get back at him later…he was probably going to blackmail Ludwig with those questionable photos of him and Feliciano or something.

"WHAAAAAAT?," I heard everyone yell.

"No, my sister is perfectly content with her figure, you think there's something wrong with my sisters, Germany?," Ivan said with his creepy aura starting to loom over him…

"NO! It's just a question…," Ludwig was starting to lose his cool, I prayed that someone would intervene.

"You know what? Why don't we all take a five minute break from the game, it's already driving us all insane…," Iggy suggested.

"Nice idea, Arthur.," I whispered, almost feeling sorry that I'm going to set him and Seychelles up later on.

* * *

Well, I'm not going to go into the boring details of our five minute Rice Crispy Treat-filled break, so we continued on with the game after the whole room quieted down. (THANK GOD.)

"So, Ivan, choose someone.," Elizaveta said.

"O.K., I choose Kiku.," he smiled innocently.

Kiku turned pale at his response. These two obviously weren't the best of friends, so I was expecting something quite interesting to result from this.

"I'm just wondering what went on with you and Greece last year at the school's annual New Year's Party. You probably had some sake before you two disappeared…," Ivan said. "Do you mind just telling us all what happened?"

Oh, crap. Kiku and Heracles? Honestly, this school is crazy….but in a good way, I mean!

"W-Well…," poor Kiku-kun stuttered as he looked down at the floor. "I was tired out and Heracles-san and I were just talking as I walked back to my dorm…"

Everyone leaned in closer, obviously expecting the juicy details…

"Then Sadiq-san came from the other end of the hallway and they started fighting…again…," he said.

I could tell that Francis was disappointed, expecting some scandalous affair or something…

"Really? Well were worried about what happened when you disappeared and you refused to talk about it.," Ivan said. "So, choose someone else now."

Kiku scanned around the room and set his gaze on Yao.

"Yao-san, just a curious thought: was there anything going on between you and Vietnam-san last year?," he asked.

Nearly everyone's jaws dropped at Kiku's question, even mine.

"W-What do you mean? (aru~)," Yao asked.

"I saw you two passing notes in class towards the end of last year and now you're at it again. Is there something wrong?," Kiku further questioned him.

"Um, I won't answer to that, sorry.," Yao was probably trying to restrain his instinct to blush at such a question.

"Then, you'll have to spend 7 minutes in the closet with her then, for us to find out.," Kiku said.

I then burst out laughing, meanwhile, the two Asian nations uncomfortably walked into the closet and Elizaveta locked it as well. The whole room fell silent as we listened to their conversation inside…

* * *

_Inside the closet…_ (3rd person P.O.V.)

"So…um…hi! (aru~)," Yao said, starting the conversation off quite shyly.

"We…don't have to do anything…," Vietnam replied. "We…can just talk!"

("FUCK!," I cursed into my pillow when I heard that.)

"O.K.," Yao replied. "So…what Kiku's been saying is true…eventually, everyone is going to notice."

"Yeah, maybe we should stop-"

"NO.," Yao held onto her shoulders, pinning her to the wall of the closet.

…

"Sorry, that was uncalled for…," Yao backed off.

"It's fine…," she smiled.

"I've always worried about you ever since that whole thing with you and Alfred…," Yao said.

(I glared at Alfred with a look that read, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IF YOU'RE THE JERK THAT RUINED THIS HAPPY COUPLE.")

"I'm fine now, being independent…it's O.K.," she said.

"Yeah, at least you're not fighting yourself anymore.," Yao said. (**A/N: **WARNING! MORE VIETNAM REFERENCES.)

Vietnam smiled, then finally realized how close she and Yao were…

Her cheeks turning a light pink, she leaned in closer.

"No one's here…so…," she whispered.

"Should we?," he leaned in as well.

_Outside the closet…_(A.K.A., you're back to reading my sarcastic thoughts and stuff…)

"OPEN THE DOOR!," I whispered (quite loudly) to Elizaveta.

She nodded with a determined smile. Unlocking the closet as quietly as she could, we all burst open the door to find a very confused-looking (*cough* VIOLATED *cough*) Vietnam lip-locking with and also surprised-looking China.

"I KNEW IT!," I said.

Yeah, say what you want, I personally did not know anything…other than the fact that I thought these two would look cute together.

So…after that awkward situation, we all decided that we would only have one more round of "Truth or 7 Minutes in Hell."

* * *

"I say I should have a turn, seeing how _I_ came up with the game!," I suggested, I just couldn't wait: NOW was the time to put my dastardly evil plan into action!

"Yeah, guys, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have found such good blackmail material!," Elizaveta said. "Go ahead!"

"Hmmm…," I said, grinning evilly around the circle.

Everyone fidgeted, probably scared of the shit I would throw at them. I WOULD torment all of them if I had more time, though…

"ARTHUR…," I glared in his direction.

"Yes?," he asked.

"Truth: DO YOU, OR DO NOT HAVE A FREAKING CRUSH ON SEYCHELLES?," I said, epically pointing at him.

"W-W-W-W-hat?...," he said, already turning a red that rivaled Lovino and Antonio's tomatoes.

"Spit it out already! Just acting like a jerk to her just SCREAMS that you're hiding a HUGE crush on her!," I yelled. "Now do you like her or not?"

"U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-Ummmmm-"

"That's it! 7 minutes in the closet with Seychelles: starting NOW!," I said, tossing him and Seychelles in, then taking the liberty with lock the thing up as well as I could at the time. "THERE!"

Panting, I saw all of the gathered nations stare at me like I've grown a third head.

"Well…it HAD to be done.," I said.

_Back inside the closet…_(3rd person P.O.V.)

"What the bloody hell was _that_ about?," Arthur tried getting out of the closet, but his efforts were in vain: Jacqueline had already locked them shut in.

"Well, there's no way of getting around the situation, …I guess that we'd better get started talking.," Seychelles said.

England sighed, "I guess so, too."

…

After a pause, he said, "Just what is there to talk about."

"Well, there's the fact that you made me your colony the minute I walked on in, constantly beat up Francis, etc…," Seychelles retorted.

"I'm only doing all of that to look after you!-," he said.

"How? How're you protecting me if you're treating me like shit! Francis definitely appreciates me a lot more than you do!," Seychelles said.

"That frog? Hmph…it's typical that you'd like him better…nearly everyone else has…," Arthur looked down.

"Well, I'm sorry, but it's true.," Seychelles continued.

…

Another awkward silence filled the air before Seychelles spoke up again, "You can start making amends by telling me how you really feel…I guess…"

… (GOD DAMMIT, THEY HAVE TO START TALKING…)

"I…"

"What?..."

"I…"

"Yes?..."

"I-"

"Out with it!-"

"YOU IDIOT!," a raging Francis burst through the closet door.

_Back outside the closet…AGAIN_

"NO, YOU'RE THE IDIOT!," I tackled and started strangling Francis.

"Miss-Jacque-," he tried to say something.

"Don't you 'Miss' me!," I screamed back.

* * *

Well…let's just say this situation ended in some numerous noise complaints from the Nordic countries next door. (*cough* Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland *cough*) Elizaveta had to call over Russia for them to shut up!

"Oi! We're all trying to get some sleep!," I heard Denmark from next door.

"You know what? YOU SHUT UP! I was strangling Francis, FYI, and we all immediately shut up after I was finished!," I stepped out, Hello Kitty pajamas and all…

"YOU kept going at it for five minutes!," he protested.

"Well, wouldn't YOU want to strangle France if you had the chance?," I asked.

"Good point.," Denmark said.

"O.K., we'll keep quiet if you keep quiet, deal?," I asked.

"Sure, and by the way, nice PJs.," I heard him snicker.

Before retreating back into Elizaveta's dorm, I had to bitch-slap him across his goddamn face.

"What happened?," Alfred asked.

"Nothing, I'm going to sleep.," I declared. "We all should too, otherwise the Headmaster will kill us."

And so, the whole room feel asleep…

…or so we thought.

I kept my eyes closed until I was aware that Alfred, Ivan, Francis, Elizaveta, and everyone else excluding Iggy and Seychelles were asleep. Perfect…

"Well, I guess I should finish what I started back there…," Iggy turned to Seychelles, sitting up from his spot on Elizaveta's floor.

"What is it?," she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Well…to be honest…what your friend said was right. I can't deny the fact that I…"

"You know what? I get it, you don't need to give me a whole, cliché, romantic confession. …It's fine, although I would've appreciated it if you had told me sooner…"

Yes…yes…YES! OH MY GOD, am I a matchmaker or what!

"Well, Iggy, g'night…," Seychelle's speech started to slur.

He just nodded…whatever…I wanted some romantic fantasy or something, but this'll have to do, even though we never got up to play the Pocky game and I've possibly met my first possible enemy here…but as I said earlier...whatever...

_To be continued…_


	10. Chapter 10

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**A/N:** This chapter has been revised twice, and this is the final edit. Sorry for the inconvenience.

**Chapter 10:**

Well, after my _very_ successful attempts at pairing some certain couples up, I took this opportunity to kick back and relax for a while. However, my peace and quiet was disrupted with a rather awkward situation during the Thanksgiving Day weekend…

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaappy Thanksgiving!," Alfred burst through the door in a pilgrim outfit with a giant, well-cooked bird in his arms.

"UGH…," I groaned and then finally managed to pick myself off of my bed and walked toward the commotion. I remember him rambling on about some American traditions at Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't give a damn, being cranky and sleepy and all. "Well…that's nice…," I nodded occasionally, but then nodded myself into spending that evening with him, finishing that giant freaking turkey. "Say _WHAT_ now?," I finally snapped out of my half-awake, half-asleep mode.

"I bought this for the two of us to finally do something patriotic-NO, AMERICAN together!," Alfred proudly proclaimed.

"WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO WITH A FREAKING TURKEY?," I retorted.

"What?," I heard Sadiq, otherwise known as Turkey pop his head in through the door.

"Not YOU! Go bother Greece or something…," I snapped back, then turned to Alfred and said, "Fine, but I won't guarantee that I could finish the whole thing with you."

He was quite happy afterwards, though…

But the idea of Alfred and I having dinner together resulted in an _explosion_ of gossip, even among my own friends! But honestly, my dear reader, you honestly don't think that I have a _"thing"_ for the guy? Right? _RIGHT?_

…

O.K., as I've said before, _**nothing**__**, **_absolutely nothing is going to happen between me, Alfred, or any other person at the World Academy. I'm sorry, but I'm just not that type of person that would want something so serious like that to worry about. What can I say? I'm single and I freaking _**LOVE**_ it.

…

Seriously.

Now putting _that_ commotion to rest, Christmas Break was around the corner as the month of December was coming to a close. Not much had really happened, other than the huge amounts of snow that the World Academy campus had received. Other than that, it was just your usual routine of study, homework, orchestra practice, and the occasional geometry tutoring sessions that Seychelles unfortunately got me into. Honestly, I didn't know that Feliciano was also struggling so much at math…I had to make Ludwig bring in some pasta for him to concentrate! Anyway, now that Christmas Break was approaching, practically everyone was leaving for their homelands, hoping for some slightly warmer climates. I didn't feel like purchasing a ticket to New York, especially during _this_ time of year where JFK International is a freaking madhouse. Of course, with practically everyone leaving me here on campus, I received more hugs than an average person should get in one day. (*cough* Feliciano, Alfred, Elizaveta *cough*)

* * *

It was now the first day of break and I woke up to the familiar white blanket of snow that almost completely consumed the whole campus. Stepping out for a walk and a warm breakfast at the cafeteria, I put on a dark blue scarf around my neck, some black gloves that I swiped from my mom, some black snow boots, a hat (that looked quite similar to Sherlock Holmes', except without the ear flapper-thingies), and a long black coat that went down to my knees. Personally, I didn't prefer cold weather, so I made sure to bundle up as much as humanly possible.

Stepping out of the dorms, there wasn't a single soul that was outside, but yet again, who in the right mind would be out here in this weather other than my crazy self? Walking to the cafeteria, all I could hear was the loud, crunching snow beneath my boots. Quite an annoying sound, but I would hum to something if my face wasn't practically frozen.

Gasping for the warm air of the cafeteria, I shut the door behind me, hastily took off my snow gear at a table, and ran for the food. (**A/N:** Food, glorious food!~)

After almost a good half hour in the cafeteria, I was finally ready to step back into the snow. With my snow gear on, I ran outside to find that the snowing had stopped…for now.

"Yes!," I exclaimed quietly to myself as I skipped in the snow.

Looking at all of the pure, white, untouched snow, I couldn't help but give into the temptation to make a bunch of snow angels. I fell on my back into the thick snow, feeling like a little kid again. Honestly, was I _that_ caught up in high school and all that good stuff to start thinking depressingly while making snow angels? Well, I didn't care for the short time that I was playing around in the snow until a taller figure loomed over me.

"Hello!"

"Eep!," I screamed as I jumped up. "Oh, hi Ivan!"

Ivan probably didn't mind the snow as much as everyone else, being so used to it and all. But, it was pretty creepy just sneaking up like that. I mean, I didn't even hear him…

"So…you didn't leave with your sisters?," I asked.

"No, I thought that I would spend the holidays here, for once…," he replied.

Immediately, I knew that this was to get away from Natalia for a while, since she really scared him. (Heck, she even scares me…)

"But wouldn't you get lonely? I mean, almost nobody stayed behind…"

"Well, you stayed, right?," he said.

Hm…he did have a point… But now, he was just creeping me out, I don't know, but it was probably that weird aura that was starting to surround him…

"Ivan, I'd like to stay, but, I have something to return in my dorm first. Maybe we could talk later?," I asked.

"Um, sure-"

"Well, O.K., later!," I trotted off to the dorms and up the stairs.

Closing the door behind me, I wondered if it was right to lie to him like that… I _did _have a library book to return today, but I was saving that for later, so maybe it wasn't completely lying? I felt guilty, so I went out again, acting like I was in a rush to get to the library in the main building. I finally realized that running out into the snow without looking was a _bad_ idea when some jerk practically crashed into me.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!," my fists rose up in anger.

Turns out the jerk that I ran into was one of the guys that that guy Denmark was hanging out with, what's his name?... Oh yeah, Iceland…

"Whoops, I'm sorry…," I immediately apologized. I mean, the guy never did anything to me.

"It's fine.," Iceland replied, brushing off some snow.

Just as I was about to leave, he asked me, "Excuse me, Miss, but is this yours?"

Whoops, I almost forgot the freaking book! Although I was embarrassed, I still thanked him.

"Hm…," he started to scan the book's title.

"Yeah, I like reading, got a problem with that?," I retorted, clutching the book to my chest.

"No.," whoops, he took that literally.

"Sorry, I just get really edgy when people start talking about books. Most people would expect the only literature that I've ever read to be that crappy series known as "Twilight" (**A/N:** This is intentional "Twilight" bashing, sorry.), being an American teenage girl and all…," I said.

"It's fine.," Iceland said again as he left.

Well, it seems that Iceland's a nation of very few words, but I guess that's O.K., not everyone can be as talkative as Alfred or Feliciano.

I had finally made it to the school library in the main building. After dropping the book into the return slot, I decided to walk around campus before returning to my dorm. Hopefully Ivan won't be around this time. …What? He's a seemingly nice person and all, but he even creeps me out…

Outside, I was humming to some VOCALOID song… AGAIN, when I saw a small group of people coming my way. Shit, it was Denmark in addition to Iceland, Norway, Tino/Finland, and Berwald/Sweden and pretty much all of Nordic Europe again, ever since the sleepover thing, I've dodged them for the past month or so. REEEALLY embarrassing, if you ask me… I tried covering my mouth with my scarf and my eyes with my hat as I passed them by, hoping they won't recognize me. Holding my breath as I passed them, they, thankfully, didn't notice me and I thought I was in the clear…

"Hey!"

…but I spoke too soon.

"Hey! You!"

I started walking faster after I heard someone called out to me, acting like I didn't hear them.

"Wait up!"

Gotta walk faster, gotta walk faster-

"I said wait up, you!"

Screw it, I'm running! Panting through the snow, I didn't even look back to see who was following me, but I just didn't want to face any of those Nordic guys after the awkward sleepover affair. Luckily, I ran down a conveniently placed alley and made a sharp turn. Looking over my shoulder, it seems that I had lost him, whoever it was. Once again, it seemed like things had turned out for the best when I fell into a huge snow ditch… Whoops.

* * *

What felt like hours later, the last thing that I remembered was the snow almost completely consuming all visible daylight. Perhaps my fall caused some of the snow to cave into the hole as well. Trying to pry myself out, I had one hand outstretched, hoping that somebody might find me. Opening my eyes, I woke up in what looked like a dorm room…that wasn't mine…

"Hey, she's awake!," Tino's smiling face gleamed as I sat up.

I scanned the room and then realized that someone had taken my coat and other snow stuff off…

"What the-?," I threw off the covers of the bed I was on to reveal the dark blue turtleneck sweater and denim miniskirt I had on.

O.K., before you jump to conclusions, I only came across owning a miniskirt when I had to attend this "Decades Dance" that my school had last year. I went as someone from the 80s and basically came in looking like an Asian Madonna. Scary, no?

"Is there something wrong?," Tino asked me.

"Um, other than the fact that I'm in _someone else's_ dorm room, everything's just fine…," I retorted.

"Su-san, I think she still has a headache from when we found her in the snow.," he called to Berwald, coming in from the other room.

"By the way, just curious, just _who's _dorm room am I in?," I asked the two of them. God, Tino just read my mind…this throbbing pain in the back of my head was killing me.

"Hey, I heard someone yelling, is that bitch finally awake?-"

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

God damn it.

God freaking damn it! It just _had _to be _that_ freaking guy's dorm!

"What the bloody hell are _you _doing here?," I grabbed the covers to hide myself (mainly the miniskirt).

"Um, this is my room?," Denmark glared at me. "It was Norway's idea for you to crash here until you woke up."

"No one else wanted her, you idiot-," Norway interrupted.

"Yeah, _sure_.," Denmark retorted.

"You're just mad because you didn't call it first-"

"Excuse me, but where's my coat…and my other stuff?," I looked around.

"We sent Iceland to clean them, they were soaking wet from all of the melting snow when we found you.," Norway explained.

"Well, that's nice of you.," I thanked him. "Say, how did you guys know it was me?"

Honestly, I didn't expect them to recognize me after close to over a month and I was just curious.

"Oh, that's easy! We-," Tino tried to explain.

"Hell, anyone would recognize that pancake-flat ass of yours-," that _jerk _replied.

I gave Denmark the freaking greatest ancestors of death-glares, gathered my stuff, and left with whatever little of my dignity I had left… Until I finally made it back to my dorm room on the third floor, I slammed the door shut and just collapsed on my bed. God, why was this guy such a fucking idiot? HONESTLY, you'd _think_ that they'd be selective in choosing students for this kind of school. The only class that Denmark would be acing would be Idiocy 101. My face felt like it was turning red as it was getting warm from my inner-ranting, so I did what I do when I usually meet an idiot: scream into my pillow.

Ah, _that_ felt better. I then turned on my back and faced the ceiling, my chest still heaving from my muffled screaming. Usually when you get to scream or hurt something when you're mad usually cools you down, really, it does. Too bad I couldn't scream my head off at the actual person.

Damn it.

"Hey! You forgot these!"

Well, there's my chance! The idiot himself has saved me the trouble of finding him! I scrambled to the door, ready to scream loud enough for people in freaking Australia to hear when-

"Here. Norway made me do this, so don't think that I've gone soft on you or anything.," he said, almost practically shoving my coat and other stuff in my face.

"O.K. Tell Norway I said thank you.," I said, slamming the door in his face. (on purpose of course, why would I act in a dignified manner to the person that said I had a pancake-flat ass?)

"Wait! He also sent me to say something to you!," I heard Denmark say from behind the door.

Hmph, like I was going to open my door again to that jerk. Glancing at my stuff, I noticed that it was also neatly folded, with the hangers neatly placed on top of them. Hmm…probably Iceland or Norway or Tino or even Berwald did that. I'll have to send them a card or something later-

"I'm sorry."

I _swore_ that I could've heard that jerk Denmark say he's sorry.

I leaned on my side of the door and slid to the floor, my knees almost to my chest. I let another awkward silence pass, testing whether if he still stayed. No response came. Typical, he came to apologize and then just ran off. Oh, well…

Picking myself off of the floor, I hung up my coat and other outer garments and then realized that I had forgotten to get some more ice for the frozen food I had in the refrigerator. (*cough* microwaveable pasta and meat *cough*) Slipping on my boots again, I headed out the door…

* * *

For the next few days, I was like freaking Santa Clause trying to get everyone I knew a gift. YES, that even included the Nordics and Ivan, I couldn't be rude and NOT get them something! I mean, we're all the only students left on campus, might as well make the best of it.

FIRST STOP…MACY*S.

Yep, you read the above statement correctly: MACY*S… Now, let me explain…did I mention that Seychelles was behind this whole Secret Santa thing in our grade? (or at least among everyone she knew) Guess what?... I got Iggy Eyebrow-face himself! Yeah, I know what you're thinking: 'AW, she's going to get him an adorable, thoughtful gift and-' …NO. If you thought that, you're DEAD WRONG!

Running down a flight of stairs, I finally came upon the giant display of purple unicorn PillowPets. Yes, _**PURPLE. UNICORN. PILLOWPETS.**_ Getting Arthur one of those would be just perfect! (and hysterical) They were on sale, too. 9.99 plus tax. Roderich would commend me on my frugalness.

Next, I decided to go get the Baltics' (and Felicks') presents. Raivis seemed to enjoy this one book series that I caught him reading once and a while, so I got him the next one in the series. Before its actual release date, mind you. Just how did I do it? Well, let's just say it involved a bribe with an order of 20 McNuggets and a cashier named Bob and leave it at that… Toris' present would be next, and I got him some other book that he was talking about. Literature is among our common interests, so being a fellow bookworm, I knew what I had to do. Eduard was a huge techie, so at first, I didn't know what to get him. But then I saw some really hardcore book on international affairs and got that since it sounded smart…-ish. And boring- but don't tell him I said that.

Alfred, Matthew, and the rest excluding Ivan and the Nordics were pretty easy to get after that. However, I would have to freeze Alfred's BicMac in my freezer until her got back… -But that's beside the point. I hardly knew or ever talked to Ivan and the Nordics, so it was going to be hard looking for their presents. First up: Ivan.

Hm…how about vodka? No…illegal. A new pipe? No…I don't want to break my sink. …I got it! Sunflowers! Well, I heard that he likes them, but I wasn't about to run to the nearest gas station and get a 7.99 bouquet. No, I was going to make a whole bunch of them out of origami once I got back. It'll be perfect: flowers that never wilt or die. (and I save a good 7.99)

Now with that out of the way, I ran over to another store on the top floor near the food court. Since I really didn't know the Nordics that well, I decided to get them the next best thing (at least it was in my mind…) : CHOCOLATE! (**A/N:** To all of my friends reading this: DID SOMEBODY SAY…CHOCOLATE?) It was quite a hassle, though. When I asked the cashier for some Scandinavian brands, he looked at me like I had grown a pair of wings and some elephant ears. I had to explain to him where the general area of Scandinavia is, which is in Europe, and it took a while, actually. In the end, I asked him if he had anything Swedish, Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, or Icelandic. After a good fifteen minutes, I walked out of the store with about five different boxes of stuff.

It was a few days when I ran into Ivan again while walking outside in the snow and I haven't seen nor heard of the Nordics.

"Hi!," Ivan came up from behind me from, like, out of nowhere. (God, I'm starting to talk like Feliks, aren't I?)

"Um, hey, what's up?," I nervously greeted him. "So how's your vacation?"

"It is very quiet around here, but it's nice to have someone here to talk to.," he continued.

"Hm, yeah, I guess…,"this conversation sounded like it was going nowhere.

"Say, before break, weren't you 'hanging out' with Alfred?," Ivan asked.

"I guess, once he figured out that I was American, he wouldn't stop bugging me: talking about freaking nothing but burgers…," I grumbled, remembering those first few days- no, weeks of him blabbing about trying to get me to see how many burgers he can fit in his mouth (you _don't_ want to know…)

"Ah, his is quite a… nuisance… But, he's done this before…," he vaguely said.

"Done what?," I asked.

"I think it was around last year, or maybe before that, I can't remember. He started 'hanging out' with Vietnam while she was going through that war with her Northern half, then left her.," Ivan explained.

Nice…MORE historical flashbacks…_lovely…_-Hey, wait! A couple of _years?_ If this is the Vietnam War, we're talking decades, man! Perhaps in the mindset of the nations, 10 years=1 to them…

"He started trying to get closer to my sister after she and the others left me a while back…now,…I don't know what they're doing…," Ivan continued.

Well, I could understand the guy trying to be friends with nearly every nation.

"Maybe it's best that you…'watch your back' from now on. America has certainly always been the troublemaker in world affairs, you should be able to understand.," he gave another one of his creepy smiles or grins.

"Yeah, it's not like that, we're friends. The only reason he hangs out with me is because I'm American. It's not like I'm going to freak out if he starts dating some other nation or something, but thanks for your concern.," I said to him in a stern tone and started to walk out of the campus gates.

I was a few blocks away from the place when I finally hit the closest supermarket, I was running low on food already, so might as well. Luckily, I saw no familiar faces. Then I won't have to stop and say 'hi' to some nobody from another homeroom! Walking down the aisles, I picked up a couple cans of microwaveable food and the basics: bread, cheese, and butter. Honestly, what trip to the grocery would be complete without those things sitting in the back of your fridge?

Once I had paid for everything, it was already getting late! I couldn't believe the days were already getting that short around here, I mean, I know it is winter and all, but it was still around 4:30 in the afternoon! Running through the piling snow, I made it back to the school campus to find a very unpleasant surprise…

"_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?_," it was the jerk Denmark again, but this time, he dragged his poor friend Norway into this.

"Hey, it's you again!," the two of them were lounging around on my sofa while abusing my poor laptop.

"Just how did you get in here?," I asked.

"These locks are so bad, we just used a bobby pin.," Norway explained.

"OUT. NOW.," I pointed out the door.

"Hey, we were waiting this whole time to ask you if you'd like to spend tomorrow with us!," Denmark said.

"Yeah, spend Christmas Eve with a bunch of lunatics: that's _nice._," I crossed my arms.

"Look, at least you'll get to dodge Ivan for a day.," Norway added.

"Well, now that you put it that way, I'm in!," my face lit up.

"Awww, so it's O.K. if Norway asks you out, but you treat me like crap!-"

"You: SHUT. UP.," I retorted.

* * *

This year's Christmas Eve at the World Academy couldn't be any better: lot of snow, no people, and peace and quiet filled the campus.

"Hey! Are you guys in there?," I knocked on Norway's door, seeing how we agreed to meet here.

"Hi!," Tino burst out of the door, followed by Berwald, Iceland, Norway, and the Idiot himself.

"So, where are we going?," I asked.

"Well, we're going ice skating!," Tino excitedly replied.

Crap. Ice skating? I knew for a fact that I _can't_ ice skate, unless falling flat on your butt counts. Not wanting to be rude, I smiled and went along with Tino and the other Nordics. Obviously having prior knowledge of the Scandinavian climate, they were all pretty comfortable on the ice. After playing for the cruddy rental skates I got, I hesitantly started to lace them up, whereas Denmark was already out on the ice, doing turns and spins that I probably will never have the patience to do.

"Hey you slowpokes! Aren't you guys ready yet?," he casually called out to the rest of us.

"Um, just a minute!," my clumsy hands fiddled with the laces. "Ugh, not again…"

"Berwald, why don't you help her out?," Tino asked, obviously not realizing that I wasn't anxious to go ice skating.

"Sure.," he quickly replied, then came over, swatted away my fumbling hands, and tightly laced my skates.

I winced a bit from the skates' tight grip, fearing a cut in blood circulation to my legs. Berwald and Tino already left to hit the ice before I could ask him to loosen them. Reluctantly making my way to the rink, I clung onto the railing for dear life. Ugh, ice and I are simply _not_ compatible. Add in the cold air, and I was in hell…well at least in a hell that was frozen over, if that makes any sense…

"Goddamn…," I mumbled to myself as my ass and the ice almost came in contact with each other again.

"Need help?"

My head nearly turned a full one hundred and eighty degrees to find the most unexpected of the Nordics to want to help me. "Hmph, not so cool now, out here on the ice.," Denmark chuckled.

"Ah, shut up.," I retorted. "I was doing just fine before you came along."

"Really? Then let go of the railing.," he said.

Damn. "Fine.," God, am I an idiot or what? The moment I let go of the railing, I had enough trouble standing up. After watching me struggle to stay standing, Denmark took both of my hands in his.

"Say, why don't I help you?"

"No shit, Sherlock.," really, _now_ he gets the idea that I can't ice skate for my life?

"O.K., move your left leg forward first.," Denmark instructed, skating backwards (from his perspective) and dragging me along. "No, _your_ left, but it's my right."

"Fine, fine, I got it.," I couldn't take my eyes off of my stumbling feet.

After a few minutes, I was surprised that I actually got it! "Congratulations, you can ice skate without falling on your ass!"

"Geez, what a subtle way to say it…," I sarcastically replied, rolling my eyes.

"If you're _that_ confident, I'll let go.," Denmark let go of one of my hands, and I obviously panicked.

"No! No! I'm not ready yet!," I protested, almost losing balance, only to be drawn in again by his other arm. "God, you gave me a freakin' heart attack!" I was panting, it was so cold that I could see my breath.

"You're welcome.," he snickered.

* * *

"Hm?," Tino glanced at his wristwatch after the ice skating incident. "My, Berwald, would you look at the time!"

"Ah, aren't we going to be late for-"

"Yes! Well, sorry guys, but we kind of forgot that we have this…thing today….," Tino explained before running off with Berwald close behind him, "Bye!" (**A/N:** No, you dirty little fangirls, it isn't _that_.)

I sighed, Tino and Berwald were one of the SANE ones here too! Oh, well, at least I've still got-

"Hey, Norway, don't we have to-," Iceland started.

"Let me guess!," I interrupted. "You have a _'thing'_ to do today that you _'forgot'_ about, too?"

Norway nodded.

"Well, if it's really that urgent then you can go-"

And just like that, Norway and Iceland ran off to God-knows-where… So I was stuck with this guy…dammit.

"You know what? I'm going to go walk around the place, I'll see you later.," I started walking.

"Hm, would you mind if-"

"Knock yourself out, Romeo, I really don't care.," I retorted, continuing as if he wasn't there.

For a while, we walked in silence through the snow until I had a sudden craving for sugar. Looking at the various stores, I stepped into a Dunkin Donuts to get hyped up on fatty baked pastries. As I had expected, the jerk followed me in too.

"One Bavarian Cream and a bottle of water.," I said to the cashier.

Honestly, does ANYONE speak cashier? Some of them just REALLY talk too fast, so I just gave him a ten dollar bill to make him shut up and give me my change. I took a seat at a vacant table near the window with two chairs, then following all romantic-comedy clichés, the jerk sat right across from me. I decided to just stare out the window, enjoying my Bavarian Cream, when I caught sight of this randomly, conveniently placed park across the street. Once I was finished, I dashed out of the Dunkin Donuts and ran across the street with Denmark not too far behind me. He ran into some traffic because of the honking idiots in their cars while I ran and hid behind a nearby tree. Scooping some snow, I quickly made a snowball, and then sent it flying to his head. Giggling from behind the tree, he began to retaliate with some more snowballs. So it's war, eh? I then began to craft more snowballs as quick as I could.

Suddenly, I noticed that the rain of snowballs had ceased. Stepping out from behind the tree, I saw no sign of Denmark, either. Hm…

"Gotcha!," he came from behind me and tackled the both of us down into the soft snow.

"Hey! What the-!," I exclaimed in surprise as I was giggling uncontrollably.

Well, call me crazy, but I for a moment there, I really didn't mind as the nosy people passing by eyed the two of us rolling around in the snow.

Small clumps of snow piled up on some stray strands of my hair as we snuck back on campus. It was about 8:30 P.M. when I finally made it back to my dorm and we said our good-byes. I sighed as I shut the door behind me, perhaps this guy wasn't as big a jerk as I thought. Well, it's getting late…but yet again, tomorrow _is_ Christmas, and no presents and whatnot would be waiting for me this year…

The next morning, I groggily slipped out of bed to tie up my hair and put on my glasses. Breakfast was silent, eaten alone, as usual. Afterwards, it was about a half an hour after noon when I stepped out again for a walk. Today wasn't going to be such a 'Merry Christmas,' without my friends and family and all. (O.K., I may have the Nordics and Ivan, though.) As expected, the streets were deserted, with the exception of the occasional car slowly driving through the snow-covered road. Having nowhere else to go, I walked over to that park from yesterday, hoping that some other loser would be sitting there to share in my solitude…

And behold, there was one of the most exhausted romantic clichés: the jerk gone good that I've only known for a few days miraculously shows up on a freaking park bench, we're alone…you people are probably expecting from scandalous affair, aren't you? Well, not today, not ever! It may be the holidays, but that doesn't give me a reason to sympathize with anyone.

"Hey.," I waved to him, walking toward the bench.

"Hey, well, I thought that you'd probably turn up here, eventually.," Denmark replied, moving over as I sat down.

"Well…where's Norway?," I asked, surprised that his best friend wasn't here.

"He and Iceland are spending some time together for all that brotherly stuff…," Denmark explained.

"Oh…," I replied. Wait, I didn't know that they're brothers… "I'm going to go walk around, how about you?"

"Seeing how I've got nothing else to do-"

"The more the merrier…"

So here I am, walking in the middle of the snow with him…I'm looking around for any signs of more possible clichés… It was almost minutes later when the snowfall started to speed up, piling up almost an inch now.

"Crap, we should make a run for it, no?," he asked.

"Nah, I can take a little snow…," I replied.

However, I would regret that statement in just a matter of five measly minutes. In addition to the snow, a howling wind almost literally blew me away if it weren't for the 5-6' guy that was with me.

"O.K., you know what? Going inside isn't so bad…," I spoke up, looking around for an open store or something, "We can go in there!" It was that same Dunkin' Donuts, déjà frickin' vu.

The cashier was busily texting when we came in. "OMG, look at all that snow!," she exclaimed, then called her coworker to go outside and start shoveling…the poor guy. Denmark and I sat near the window again, I could tell he was smirking or something at how ironic the situation was.

"So…well, as weird as the past week has been, I think that it's best that we-," I started.

"It wasn't that weird-," he replied.

"O.K., whatever, it's just that…," I continued. "Listen up: I don't want trouble and neither do you, I want to make sure that news of this doesn't get out to anyone. Not to Elizaveta, not Toris, not Alfred-"

"What? I thought you said you didn't like the guy."

"Either way, he's going to FREAK OUT-"

"Who cares?"

DAMN did this guy have a good point for everything.

"But whatever, my lips are sealed. You just look so funny when you're mad.," he said.

"Oh, shut up.," I retorted, but continued the conversation over some stupid stuff: school and whatnot. Surprisingly, it went quite well…I was cracking up from time to time… (with the cashier constantly telling me, "Miss, please quiet down.") Perhaps I had finally found one common thread between us… It felt awkward to me, but whatever, at least this would help keep me from wanting to strangle him every waking moment.

"Say, look outside. Looks like the snow stopped for now."

Well, Denmark was sort-of right, the snow didn't completely stop. It only slowed down and there was still inches upon inches of snow piled up outside. Outside looked like a scene out of some Christmas click flick or calendar, so I couldn't help myself but run on outside again.

"What the hell, Jack?-"

And here we go again… My boots crunched loudly on top of the snow as I ran out of the Dunkin' Donuts like an idiot and into the middle of the road.

"Hey! Jacqueline watch out!," I heard him call out, while I blindly ran in circles, not noticing the approaching SUV.

CRAP!, I thought. That split second in front of that car was probably the 5th time that I've come SOOO close to dying. If it wasn't for that jerk, who pushed me out of the way, I would've made the front page of _The Hetalian_: DUMB STUDENT DIES IN CAR CRASH, AND in the obituaries of _The New York Times._ We tumbled out of the way just in time and landed on top of each other in the snow.

"What the HELL was that?," he exclaimed. "You could've been _killed_ back there!"

I didn't respond for a second and then responded, "DAMN, you should see your face just now! I bet even Norway's never seen you this angry!"

"Oh, shut up!"

We kept our mouths shut, finally realizing how compromising the situation was, being this close…

"Yeah…so…I'll make sure no one else hears about this…," he said.

"Well…," I said as we stood up. "…Let's just say that _you_ were my hero tonight, but don't tell Alfred that either."

"Hey, what time is it?," I asked again after a short silence.

"It's…8:30-"

"Oh, shit! Do you know where Tino, Berwald, and the others could be now?-"

"They're at the dorms, calm the frick down."

"O.K., thanks.," I said, dashing in the direction of the World Academy's gates.

"Wait, where're you going?," he asked, closely running behind me.

"You come, too. It's a surprise!," I replied happily, a devious smile coming on my face.

Running into my dorm, almost slamming the door into my lamp, I picked up a couple of bags.

"What're those?," he asked.

"Their dorms are on the floor below us, right?-"

"Yeah-"

"Stay here for a minute or so, 'kay?"

So there I was, running down the stairs with everyone's gifts. Tino, Berwald, Norway, and Iceland were certainly surprised when I crashed in through their doors.

After an awkward silence, "Hey, guys."

"Oh, thanks!"

Seriously, you feel like Jesus when you're giving out presents. Tino was the one that seemed openly happy at first when I burst through the door, so he got his first. Since Berwald seemed to always be with him, I handed his over his gift next.

"Merry Christmas!," I said before moving onto Norway and Iceland next door.

Both of them gave me what looked like a remnant of a smile and a nod as I gave out their gifts. I made my way out the door to run over to Ivan's dorm with the pot of origami sunflowers. These took _forever_, so the greatest care would be needed to carry them up the stairs.

"Hello-?"

"Merry Christmas, Ivan!," I greeted, happy that I had finally made it up the stairs, and gave him the bouquet.

"Oh, thank you.," he smiled back. A genuine smile, not a creepy one.

"Well, I gotta go finish my round of giving gifts, so-"

"I understand. Later.," he waved good-bye.

"Y-Yeah, see you later too!," and with that, I ran back to my dorm.

"Well, I'm back!," I greeted Denmark waiting back at my dorm. "Phew, running up and down those stairs is _some_ workout!"

"I'm guessing that it went well?," he asked.

"Yep!," I said. "Well, bye."

Looking shocked, he asked, "Wait, what?"

"Just kidding! I didn't forget you.," I replied.

"O.K., where is it?," he jumped out of his seat, probably expecting a huge present.

"Wait for me at the elevator, and then you'll get it.," I said, and he followed suit.

Once he was out the door, I ran into my closet and grabbed a small box. I had a hard time trying to figure out what I could get for this guy that I barely knew (until recently), but then the inspiration came to me…in a VOCALOID song. The song was "The Little Mermaid" by Luka Megurine, and remembering the fact that "The Little Mermaid" is a tale that originated in Denmark, I was able to hunt down some instructions for an origami version of a mermaid. It was hard, but then I had to color it with some spare watercolors among my art supplies. It turned out better than I had expected.

"Hey, you actually waited!," I mockingly said as I came running to the elevator. He just shrugged. "Well, Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you're celebrating as an excuse to get drunk this year."

With that finally said and done, I left him at the elevator. But before I had walked far enough from the elevator, I heard him say, "Thanks." WITH a smile, mind you. Not a jerky smile, not a sarcastic smile, but a real one…boy am I obsessed with smiles this Christmas…

_To be continued…_


	11. Chapter 11

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 11:**

Well, to be honest, it was an awesome Christmas at the World Academy. The next day, Tino and the others came to my dorm with the thank you's…in the form of presents. Technically, I had a fun Belated Christmas, but it was a Christmas nonetheless. It was also Boxing Day…whatever that is…so it was a fun Boxing Day/ Belated Christmas. What wasn't fun was the fact that I got a cold the next day…probably from rolling around in the snow. But what can't a little Tylenol, Theraflu, other over-the-counter medicines, and a hot shower do? So for that whole day, I moped around, cleaning through my computer's files and even e-mailed my _parents_.

Yes, you heard me right: my parents. I got a reply an hour later, turns out that New York and the rest of the Northeast was hit with one heck of a blizzard this year. Ouch. Can't imagine how terrible the traffic would be with two feet of snow…

So I finally got over my cold by New Year's Eve, and nearly everybody was back on campus! Surprisingly, they decided to come and spend New Year's with their classmates rather than their fellow countrymen, yay.

"I'm baaaaaaaack!," Alfred's loud voice echoing from down the hallway was what woke me up that morning.

"Hey-," I crawled out of my dorm's door, only to get crushed by his lethal hug.

"Miss meeee!"

"…Y-…-es!," I had managed to say as I finally broke away. "So…what's up?"

"Oh, you _have_ to come to the campus New Year's party tonight!," Alfred beamed.

"So that's why everyone's coming back? Just for a party?," I asked, shocked.

"It's not just _any_ party! It gets crazier every year-"

"Look, I'm from New York, I _think_ I know what makes a New Year's Party…," I interrupted. "…too bad I've never been to one-"

"More the reason for you to go!," Alfred replied.

"Sorry, but I'm going to spend it like any other otaku: I'm going to watch some stale holiday specials, in my PJs, with some ice cream and manga.," I proudly said, ready to close the door on him.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease!," he begged, keeping the door open with his foot in the doorway. "Pleeeeeeeeeease-!"

"Fine! Fine! I'll _consider_ it.," I finally gave in, closing the dorm door.

* * *

I really have to eat my words, don't I? Late that very afternoon, I was moping around in a Hello Kitty bathrobe, holding a tub of ice cream watching a marathon of Iron Chef on the Cooking Channel. Yep, Iron Chef, people. Speaking of Iron Chef, I could go for some 5-star food right now.

Walking over to the kitchen, I decided to get some Chef Boyardee when something from the corner of my eye caught my attention.

"Hm?," I wondered with genuine curiosity at the spectacle that was the World Academy's New Year's party outside. Looking out my window, everyone in the auditorium across from the dorms looked like they were having a great time. They had a makeshift ball, like the one that drops in Times Square every year. Not bad. Food, Gilbert & Ludwig had brought out the booze, and that was possibly Alfred in the background with Yao and Hong Kong, planning a fireworks display.

…Fireworks display? Some serious shit is going down, I really should-

NO! I have Chefs Boyardee, Hiroyuki Sakai, and Alain Passard, ice cream, and Kuroshitsuji! Screw their balls and booze, I'm going to enjoy New Year's in solitude…

…

Yeah, looking back at that statement, the most appropriate comment could be "That's what she said!"

…

Indeed.

* * *

After changing into some warm clothes, I stepped out of the sanity of the dorms and into the craziness that was the World Academy's New Years' party. Upon my arrival at the event, I was tackled by my friends.

"Hey! Happy New Year!"

"How was your Christmas?"

"Y-Yeah, it was cool. What's up?," I finally broke away from the small crowd that Seychelles, Elizaveta, and the rest of the girls were forming around me.

"Ugh! Why are you dressed like _that_?," Elizaveta stared at me in my black boots and jeans.

"What's wrong with it-?," I stopped in the middle of my sentence as I looked at the rest of my friends in their pretty, formal dresses. "-Oh…"

"There's still time, you know.," Seychelles tried to cheer me up.

"What? To change? Put my hair up? EVERYTHING? What am I going to do-?"

"We'll help!," Seychelles and Elizaveta said in unison.

I knew that this wasn't going to end well.

After Seychelles and Elizaveta broke out the make-up, I kicked them out of my dorm…not literally, of course.

"Ugh, I _hate_ makeup!," I screamed loud enough for the whole dorm to hear. Whoops.

Calming down a bit, I put on the one pair of decent heels that I owned. Looking into the mirror, I smoothed out a couple of wrinkles in the black skirt that nearly reached my ankles. Next I quickly tied the light blue sash around my waist into a bow. Perfect! Blue and black, to me, is an EPIC color combo. Before stepping out, I made sure that everything was in order: my hair, the dress, and the shoes. Well, a funny thing about my dress is that it's the exact same one I wore for my 8th Grade Dance and the first concert that I played piano and violin in. So, there's a lot of history behind this dress, I was determined to keep it clean since it's also going to be my Senior Prom dress, too. What? I'm cheap, so what?

…Whatever.

"Ready to go?," I asked my friends as I stepped out.

"Yeah!," they all cried before dragging me into the auditorium blasting with music.

* * *

Once we actually got there, I parted ways with the rest of the girls. There was NO way they were getting me into one of the little shenanigans again… So I decided to have a couple of refreshments. Cupcakes, punch, chips, EVERYTHING was freaking there. I had a cupcake, but the punch was probably spiked since it smelled like shit. Tsk, tsk, tsk Gilbert…

"Um, hi!," someone said from behind.

What the hell did Iggy Bushy-brow need from me?

"Heeeellllooo!- What's up?," I said, mouth still full of cupcake. UGH, I could just read his thoughts right now, 'Oh, the uncivilized American, no manners at all!' Seems that I forgot the common courtesy to NOT talk with your mouth full…

"Nothing much, I'm just surprised to see you here.," he said.

"Oh God, can't Alfred keep his mouth shut?," I whined.

"Yeah, he kept on telling me, 'Go get Jackie, she's missing out on all the fun!,'" Iggy explained, giving a rather poor impression of Alfred.

"Ha!," I chuckled. "I _knew_ it… But, he was right: this is one hell of a party." (**A/N: I swear, I didn't intend on any Kuroshitsuji reference.**)

The both of us shut up for a while as a new song started, a slow one, and couples swarmed the dance floor. Cough. Seychelles and Francis. Cough. Elizaveta and…_GILBERT?_ Cough. Alfred and…who was that? Nearly choking on my cupcake, it seems that Alfred joined in with some mystery girl. Who was she? I've never seen her before, so maybe she's a new student? She had blazing red hair, emerald green eyes, and her face was dotted with freckles.

"What? Disappointed?," Iggy asked me, sighing. He was looking at the smiling Seychelles in the crowd.

Patting his back, I tried to cheer him up, "In the words of The Wedding Singer, 'Love Stinks' Iggy." Yep! Such inspirational words, no?

He turned to me with a puzzled face that totally screamed, 'What the bloody hell?'

"So, who's Alfred's new date-?," Arthur decided to change the subject.

"_EXCUSE ME?_," I retorted. "So you're implying that _I_ was even his date in the first place?"

"Um, yes-"

"Ah, Iggy, you obviously don't know me that well.," I said, starting to laugh my trademark psychotic laugh. Everyone was probably thinking that I had a bit too much of the spiked punch.

"So you're not jealous?," Iggy asked.

"Of course not, me and Alfred are only friends.," I explained. "Well…you know what?"

"What?," Arthur replied, possibly only to humor me.

"Let's dance."

* * *

People staring? Check. Cheesy slow song playing? Check.  
Boy do I owe Arthur big after this stunt. With the majority of the student body staring at us, we swayed by the other couples, making Seychelles, Francis, and Alfred's jaws drop in shock. Even above the commotion, I could've sworn I heard Francis cry, "_Mon dieu._" God, their faces were just _priceless._

"You are, officially, _insane_.," Arthur said as we were trying to make our way to the edge of the crowd.

"Just noticing it? Wow, Iggy…wow.," I laughed as we finally got off the dance floor. "Is Seychelles jealous now?"

"Hm, is Alfred?," he smirked.

"Shut up.," I said, playfully punched his arm. "Well, it's best that I be on my way-"

"Wait! You just got here, at least stay until midnight.," Arthur insisted. Wow! Bushy-brow Jerkface being nice? I'm amazed- you know what? I really don't give Iggy as much credit as I should, he's not that bad.

Although I was inching towards getting back to my beloved Iron Chef marathon, I replied, "You know what? O.K., why the hell not?"

Luckily, I wasn't stuck talking to Arthur for too long, the Baltics eventually showed up with the exception of Toris. He was probably out trying to find Natalia or something, but damn did those two look so cute together.

"Hey guys! Haven't seen you in a while.," I said, starting out the conversation.

"Same here.," Eduard replied. "Say, did you meet the new transfer student yet-?"

"HEY LISTEN, EVERYBODY! IT'S ALMOST MIDNIGHT!," Alfred roared into a megaphone, announcing the fast-approaching new year.

A couple of "YEAH!"s echoed throughout the crowd as the countdown started: "60!...59!..." Yeah, these are the only people that I know of that will start a New Year's countdown at a minute rather than at 10 seconds.

"10!...9!...8!...7!...," I eventually joined in on the countdown, chanting in unison is so much fun, isn't it?

"…3!...2!...1!-"

Confetti and balloons were swirling around EVERYWHERE, but it was too much fun just to act like the usual sourpuss that I am. Outside, I'm assuming that it was Yao and Hong Kong setting off a fireworks display outside. A few "Ohs" and "Ahs" came from the crowd, even from me, since it was that cool. Seriously, how many principals would allow a fireworks display AND a party on school grounds? Ours, that's who.

Well, in the commotion, I was able to sneak out.

* * *

The next morning, I was in homeroom, head down on my desk. UGH, maybe staying up eating ice cream and watching the rest of Iron Chef wasn't such a good idea…

"Class!"

UGH…it's too early for this teacher to be screaming.

"Class! Sit down!"

Yeah, good luck calming them down after last night's party.

Once everyone finally found a seat, the teacher called in… Alfred's mysterious redhead from the party…

_To be continued…_


	12. Chapter 12

_A Year at the World Academy..._

**Chapter 12:**

"Class, this is our new student: Erin O' Bride.," the homeroom teacher finally introduced the redhead. She also had this adorable plaid barrette with a poofy-thingy on top. I wonder if she's a country?

"Hi!," she smiled. "I'm also the nation of Ireland, but you can all call me Erin-"

Erin stopped in the middle of her sentence when England walked into homeroom.

"Um, hello.," he said as-a-matter-of-factly, taking a seat.

She intensely glared at Arthur with a look of anger in her eyes. Well, if I remember my world history correctly, England still technically occupies a portion of Ireland. I wonder why he hasn't given it up already? Now that I see the situation like that, I can see why Erin would be angry with him.

"Mr. Kirkland!," our homeroom teacher barked. "Explain yourself! You're not only late, but you've disrespected the new student here!"

Everyone (*cough* Alfred *cough*) burst in laughter at Arthur at how he got told off by the homeroom teacher.

"I'm terribly sorry.," he said.

"Hmph, you've never been tardy, so I'll let this one slide.," the teacher replied, then turning to Ireland. "You can go find a seat."

Although I really was dying to return to my homeroom nap, I got worried when Erin took a seat not too far from Arthur. I just _know _that this isn't going to end well…

* * *

Throughout the day, I noticed that Erin was, altogether, a fun person to be around…when England's not there. One minute, she would be talking to someone, then flicking pencils at Arthur's head. I do admit to laughing at her antics at times, but I did feel bad for the poor guy on the inside. Yeah, I feel emotions too, believe it or not.

Well, it took a couple of periods, but I was able to actually _talk_ to her on my way to Cooking class. Today, we were actually allowed near the ovens!

"Hi! You're in my homeroom, right? I didn't quite catch your name before.," she said.

"Oh, it's Jackie. And thank God I'm not the only n00b around here anymore."

"Ah, it's fine and all, if that jerk was here…," Erin grumbled.

"Well, there's always going to be idiots making life difficult, right?," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

"I guess you're right…"

Phew, maybe now she'll let up on poor England-

"Say, people around here say that you know that guy Alfred pretty well.," Erin said, I was surprised at the sudden change in topic.

"Oh, what about him?," I asked.

"Do you think that you could…I don't know…set us up?-"

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA…_WHOA…_,"I interjected. "As in…a date?"

"Um…kind of, but yeah.," she said, stuttering a little.

"Hmm…," I pondered my thoughts. "Sure!"

"What! You really mean it?," Erin replied, a little confused at how willing I was.

"Yeah! Just tell me what day works for you and I'll get right to it!"

I ran off at the sound of the bell, leaving behind a rather flabbergasted Ireland.

Sitting down at my usual spot in Cooking class, I was ready to be bored out of my mind, seeing as I have no cooking talent at all. The teacher came up to the front of the class and went over the usual: "Safety first, kids!" Gosh, we're not seven, we know…but it would be fun to see someone fail at making Jiffy corn muffins today. Personally, I think that person is going to be me.

"O.K., now split up into groups of two!"

_What?_ Groupwork? No…I don't _do_ groups, teams, or anything of that nature-

"Hey! Do you mind if I could-," I could see Erin coming over from the other end of the room. Darn, I can't say no once I've clearly seen her.

"Oh, sure!"

Erin turned out to be a huge help in the baking that we were actually the first to finish. This, to me, is the highlight of my existence in this class as last week I couldn't even get water to boil. Ugh, pathetic, I know. Since we finished early, we just brought up some idle conversation.

"So…," I said, dusting off some flour off of my hands.

"...So what?," she asked after putting away the remainder of the cooking bowls, tools, and stuff away.

"I'm guessing you already know some people here, right?"

"Yeah, world conferences and all that crap.," she chuckled.

"Lucky, it was probably a fluke that I ended up here-"

"Shut up! If you were as 'retarded' as you say you are all the time, you wouldn't be here. Enjoy every last bit of it before they send you back.," Erin grinned.

"Thanks.," I replied. "Boy is it going to suck having to get stuck on a plane back home. My parents are going to kill me, though."

"For what? Getting into the World Academy? What's wrong with it?," Erin asked.

"I forged their signatures to let me go.," I whispered. She gasped. "Yeah, I did it…"

"Well…," Erin said, a little shocked of course. "But they obviously wanted to hold you back, and I'm happy to know that you didn't let them."

I couldn't help but smile at that statement. Seriously, how often is it that you meet someone this nice for what, a day or two, and you two are talking like you've known each other forever?

"Everyone run! Iggy's done cooking!," Alfred screamed from the back of the kitchen/classroom.

I sighed, way to ruin the sentimental moment, Alfred. Meanwhile, Erin ducked underneath the counter as Arthur went around, trying to find someone to taste whatever he just baked. From here, they looked like scones-

"Hey! Want to try one?," he came running with the steaming plate of 'scones.'

Looking around, everyone was quivering in the corner and shook their heads.

"No! Don't do it!"

"Um, sure!," I decided to be a brave idiot and try them anyway. Everyone gasped as I shoved the whole thing in my mouth. Not bad.

"Is she crazy?"

Arthur smirked at the crowd that cowered at his food with an expression that screamed, 'Say I can't cook? Yeah, what now?'

However, I felt funny as it slid down my throat, it felt like it was burning!

"Say, what's in it?," I managed to cough out, trying to sound normal.

"Oh, I decided to add a little more to the recipe, something different-"

"Yeah, _what was it?,_" I demanded as the burning sensation actually started to hurt. Was it just me, or was it getting harder to _breathe_ in here?

"Um, I think it was peanut butter.," he replied.

"_What?_," I screamed. Then I went down, crashing onto the floor.

"Hey, are you O.K.?"

"Someone get the teacher or something."

Everything went black after that.

* * *

Ugh…I felt like shit waking up after that. But, I did have to admit, Arthur's cooking is not as bad as everyone claims it to be.

"Hey! She's waking up!," I heard none other than the 'hero' yell. "Don't worry, the hero's got this."

"Yeah, yeah…," I muttered, looking around, and then tried to sit up.

"You're awake? How're you feeling, kid?," the nurse casually asked.

"Like shit."

"Well, that's normal.," she walked away to go deal with someone that came to her office with some important-looking papers.

"What're those?," I asked her.

"I have to record this reaction and notify your parents.," she replied, taking out a pen.

NO. There is no freaking way my parents are hearing about this. But I blacked out in the middle of class, there's no use in trying to cover that up.

"Oh…," I said, looking down.

"Don't worry, kid. I'll make sure they don't come running to you with a thousand questions, O.K.?," the nurse said. "I'm guessing that this is the first serious reaction you've had, right?"

"Yeah, I don't want them to send me home because of this, or get mad at Arthur either.," I replied.

"It was Arthur that did this?," Alfred yelled. "The HERO will make sure he doesn't get away with this-!"

"Alfred, stop!," I screamed, my throat still felt funny. "It was an accident! He probably didn't even mean it!"

"They're talking it over with the teacher and the Headmaster right now, I'm sure everything will work out. As you said, it was an accident.," the nurse interrupted once more. "And Mr. Jones, don't we have a class to get to now?"

"Oh, sorry!," Alfred sped out of the room, probably had Chemistry now or something. Wait, if he had Chemistry, I-!

I tried to run out after him, but then I realized that I didn't have my heavy book bag weighing me down.

"Um, Miss? Where's my stuff?," I looked around in a circle. She pointed to my right and behold, there was my book bag, heavy-ness and all. "Thanks!" And with that, I was off.

* * *

My near-death experience turned out to be the highlight of what happened in January. I was too busy with a Chemistry, Art, and English project to notice _anything._ Heck, I practically locked myself up in my dorm for an entire Friday afternoon to finish them! Well, it probably creeped the hell out of a couple of people. First Toris and the other Baltics came by and I told them that I was busy. Then Seychelles and the other girls kept on trying to coax me out of finishing my work. Italy tried to bribe me with pasta to leave my room. Just to piss them off, I continued working into half of my Saturday morning. I even recall some people from orchestra practice coming in to check on me. But how the heck was I supposed to know that we had a practice today?

Luckily, I managed to finish everything, take a shower, change, and run out the door with my violin.

Roderich was just starting to take attendance as I ran in.

"I'm here!," I yelled from the other end of the theater. He glared at me and lectured at how I shouldn't be late. "You know that I'm not technically late, Roderich. I'm pretty sure someone told me that practice starts at 10:30, it's 10…:29!"

Roderich was obviously pissed already, so then I shut up and took my seat after pointing out the fact that I was not late.

"Alright! Everyone!," he yelled. "The year's halfway over, and we're not even close enough to perfect for this!"

I took a look at the other people, they looked quite down. Well, Roderich was right, we were nowhere close to performing this with the actors. Speaking of the actors, where the heck were those two guys that tried to get me to join a while back?

"Hey, Austria!," I saw the two come down the aisle to talk with our maestro. "Let's start rehearsal-"

"Ugh, if these _slowpokes_ could hurry up, that would be nice.," he said with disgust, referring to the reed sections (or woodwinds, reeds refer to the flutes, clarinets, cor anglais, oboes, bassoon, etc. Yes, I know that not all of them need reeds, but I guess the composer can generalize the section if he wants to…).

"Fine, but keep it quiet…the first scene doesn't need much…," Greece said.

"Yeah, we'll give you guys roughly two and a half minutes to be ready with that Overture.," Turkey then turned to the stage crew to ready the chandelier. (YES, THEY HAVE A FREAKING CHANDELIER.)

Damn, was this serious for a school production! But I loved it, my dream is to play with an orchestra in a musical, and it would've been a shame if I had skipped this practice to do freaking homework.

Luckily, the reeds got their act together a minute after the lights were cued and the actors already started the Prologue scene.

"Lot 666: a chandelier in pieces…," I heard from above the orchestra pit.

Pure excitement was practically surging through me as I was almost shaking to get into position to play in a minute. Roderich signaled the percussion section in the back to stop talking, my fingers glided over to the first note, and then the pre-recording of an organ played the Phantom's signature chromatic tune.

The Overture was already tiring me out, and we still had the rest of rehearsal to go! O.K., now I was worried about whether I was actually ready for this.

"Angel of Music…," I heard the actress playing Christine sing above. She was good…and getting a compliment like that from me…gosh, the way she hit high notes, it was crazy of how well she did it. But, I obviously can't get myself distracted.

A few minutes later, the organ practically scared me half to death as we started the musical's title song, "The Phantom of the Opera." (duh) To my disappointment, the actress was merely lip-singing for the high notes. I mean, I know that those notes are, like, impossible…but still…

"The Music of the Night" was the song that immediately followed after, and the Phantom was, well…._Phant_astic! Excuse my bad pun, but damn! Where was the school getting all of these singers? Well, perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised after being here for half a year, but I couldn't help but get mesmerized by the singing myself.

For the rest of Act 1, not much happened until I heard whoever was singing Raoul's part in the song "All I Ask of You." To be blunt, this song was by far…the most romantic and lovey-dovey of all in the musical, you do not mess with this part unless you want the audience booing you off the stage. For once, I was a sap and mentally "Awww"ed. This scene was, like, perfect in the eyes of a sap (which I am NOT): a romantic confession in a romantic song, followed by a minute-long kiss (O.K., maybe I'm exaggerating a bit…). But, yeah…this is one of the only times where I will act like a sap…

Rehearsal was cut short as it was already noon. Aw…I actually wouldn't mind playing through Act 2 to hear the end! But my stomach begged to differ.

* * *

I realized just how fast January came and went as the first week of February ended. Damn, one more week, and it would already be…UGH…Valentines' Day, or as I call it: The Worst Day of the Year to Be Single. I mean, people hear me ranting about how I claim to be proud of being single for life, but this is the one day when they can rub their happy relationships in my face. Jerks.

But, it was Erin's date with Alfred that day (which _I _organized!) was what made it worthwhile. She was just ecstatic when I told her that it was on no other than the fourteenth of February. As cliché and corny as it sounds…I too,… was squealing like a fangirl as I broke the news to her. Alfred was going to meet her after class at 3:30 that afternoon at the campus gates.

"Oh gosh, really? He-!," Erin tried not to stutter.

"Yep.," I nodded my head proudly. "Oh, look at the time! It's 3:25! You don't want to keep him waiting, now do you?" I gestured her down the stairs.

"B-But, what if something goes wrong? I'll do something stupid! What if-!," Erin hesitated to walk down the stairs.

"Look, you look gorgeous, you're not stupid, you can go this!," I turned to her, giving the most inspirational pep talk that a friend could give. "He won't know what hit him by the end of the date!" God, I sound like she's going off to battle…

"You're right! Thanks for the advice, Jack.," Erin's face lit up as she ran down the stairs. I followed closely behind her to make sure everything went according to plan.

Outside, the courtyard was surprisingly…deserted! No one else was there but Erin, Alfred, and I. Well, of course, I was watching (NOT stalking…O.K. maybe) from a safe distance among some trees to the side. Erin and Alfred started talking, and then they walked over to his motorcycle. Damn, I haven't seen that thing for months, but of course Alfred can't ride it through snow. Most of the snow had melted and the streets were cleaned weeks ago. Erin put on the spare helmet he had and then they were off, the motor giving a loud roar before leaving the gates.

Sighing, I leaned against a nearby tree. Boy, did they look happy. Despite seeing them so happy…I couldn't help but feel…empty, lost…maybe even _lonely._

Ugh! I had to stop thinking about it, that's all! Erin has the right to be happy with him, and I shouldn't interfere anymore.

I walked back to my dorm room to spend the rest of this dreadful day in front of my laptop. To my surprise, some anonymous, caring, and considerate person left a flower at my door! I ran from the other end of the hallway and upon closer inspection it was…a _blue_ rose?

W…T…F…?

…I mean, I know it's different from the cliché red roses…but _blue? _Hm…

* * *

The week after Valentine's Day was yet another small break for us as some idiots (*cough* Alfred, Gilbert, etc. *cough*) blew the Chemistry lab to hell 'on accident.' That whole week, the science hall was completely sealed off for the construction crew to repair it. I would miss Chemistry for a while…but not as much as I had missed sleep for a while! Ah~! Sleep is a procrastinator's best friend, am I right?

However, a phone call from Seychelles one morning would interrupt my long-needed ten hours of sleep.

"UGH, you know we don't have school today, right?," I said into the phone, still half-asleep.

"I know, I know, but guess what?," Seychelles asked me.

"What? Flying mint bunnies and unicorns are real?," I retorted.

"NO…," Seychelles replied from the other end of the line. "They're holding auditions for understudies today for the musical. I know that you're a die-hard Phantom fan, so maybe you should try out?"

My heart probably skipped a beat or two as Seychelles said that there were understudy auditions. Well, it's very unlikely that I'll have to fill in for someone, but I've always wanted to act in a musical…couldn't hurt, right?

"Are you still there?," Seychelles asked.

"Yeah! Still alive!," I said. "Tell them I'll be there!"

Getting up early on a Monday where I had no school, for something like this…my geekiness is _sooo_ charming, right?

Well, my giddyness died as I saw so many other girls try out. You'd think that with the cast already set that not a lot of people would come out for this, but I guess that there's a lot more drama geeks than I thought… But once again… I had nothing to do, so I sat in the back of the theater as everyone else crowded around the front. Almost thirty minutes passed and there was still a long line up front, so I stayed put and did what I do best: …sleep.

"Hey…"

Hm? What the-?

"Are you here…for the auditions?..."

My eyes shot open at the sound of some anonymous jerk that wanted to interrupt my nap.

"Wha? Who's that?," I rubbed my eyes- WAIT! Where the heck were my glasses if I could rub my eyes? "Where're my glasses?"

"…Here, sorry, you looked funny with them crooked while you were asleep.," turns out the 'anonymous jerk' was Greece…except I personally don't think that he's a jerk.

"Oh, t-thanks?," I took my glasses back and wiped the lenses.

"Sorry if I got some fingerprints on them."

"No problem, I'll just wipe them off-"

"Hey! Is she auditioning or what?," I heard Sadiq (or Turkey, in case you forgot) yell from the front.

"She just woke up, no need to yell, and yes, she's auditioning.," Heracles (Greece) retorted.

"Alright, get the song that she's going to audition with and let's get going! It's almost lunch and she's the last one!"

"Fine, fine…," Greece mumbled, obviously aggravated a little, and then turned to me.

"I'm singing "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again from Act 2 of the musical, just to let you know.," I said, and with that, he went back to tell the stage crew or something.

Walking down the aisle to the stage, I heard Sadiq say, "Well, well, well… a few months ago, you told us that you weren't interested."

"I can be in orchestra and still act on the side if I want to.," I retorted. "Now, what am I supposed to do?"

"You tell me, this is _your_ audition."

Dang, did he have a good point. Well, I centered myself on the stage when the blinding lights came on.

"Ugh…," I groaned, and then whoever was operationg the lights was kind enough to lower them. "Um, well, here I go!" I took a breath as the sound people cued in the instrumental to my song. "Wait, wha-?"

"CUT!," I heard one of the drama teachers yell. "Sorry we didn't tell you earlier, dear, but could you remove those glasses so we can see your face?"

"Um, sure.," I handed my glasses over to Sadiq for now and walked back to the stage's center. The music started again from the beginning.

_"You were once, my one companion…_

_You were all that mattered…_

_You were once a friend and father…then my world was shattered…"_

God, I could just hear my voice starting to quiver! But I couldn't stop in the middle of the song! I went on, trying the best I could on everything: the dynamics, the acting, my vibrato…the stage felt like it was surging with power or something as I went on singing. Perhaps this was the kind of sensation I was longing for in drama…this is what I longed for in coming to this audition.

_"Too many years, fighting back tears…Why can't the past just die?"_

At this point, it was time to get as emotional as I could with this, I mean, it is a sad song and all.

_"Wishing you were somehow here again, knowing we must say, "Goodbye…_

_Try to forgive, teach me to live, give my the strength to try"_

As I took another breath, I thanked God that the song was almost over.

_"Help me say, "Goodbye.""_

UGH! I didn't hold the final note on the last line long enough! I blew the big finish, I-!

"You're fine as a soloist, but can you sing that well while acting with other people?," one of the teachers in the audience asked.

"Well, I-"

"Seeing how you're probably worn out a little, I'll let you do the "All I Ask of You" duet."

I froze. Another song? But I was still catching my breath from the last one!

"You _do_ know it, don't you-?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Christine's part?"

"Yeah, hey! Where's that kid playing Raoul?," the teacher yelled.

"O.K., fine…I'm here.," I saw Heracles run from backstage.

Greece was playing as Raoul? What? I had to sing a duet with this guy? I barely knew him!

"Alright, you two…," the teacher stood up. "Pretend it's opening night and you, um, what's your name?"

"I-It's Jackie.," I stuttered.

"O.K.! Jackie, you're in Christine's shoes: scared out of your mind, the Phantom may kill you and you're childhood friend Raoul here…what do you do?"

I was already scared out of my mind being onstage! I was starting to think that I couldn't do this-!

"Nice, you're scared expression looks very genuine, now cue the music!"

The instrumental started playing once more and it was Heracles that started this time. Thank God, I would be stuttering and everything if I had to start the song. But damn…I didn't expect for him to have a good voice for someone who doesn't say much. I was really surprised as he pulled me in like Raoul did to Christine. Did they really expect us to act too? Well, I had to admit that his acting was good (probably from practicing for half of the year), and I managed to calm down a bit before my entrance.

_"Say you'll love me every waking moment…"_

GOD, I FELT LIKE SUCH A SAP. I was even _smiling_ a little with these lyrics! Ugh, now was not the time to go out of character (**A/N:** Even though I've already made a bunch of characters in this fanfic do so already.). We went on with the song, and I felt butterflies crawling in my stomach as we approached the part of the song where our roles are supposed to kiss. Yes, you heard me correctly, KISS. I was so _not_ ready for that!

_"Say you love me…," _I sang, perhaps even blushing myself silly since these lyrics were sooo sappy.

_"…You know I do"_

My cheeks must be, like, blushing a shade of red or pink or some girly color because…well…I had to admit that his lyrics were just cute.

_"Love me, that's all I ask of-"_

We sang in unison, pretty O.K. if you ask me, and my face was reminiscent of a red tomato on the stage. To my surprise, he actually did pull me in for Raoul and Christine's kiss when-

"CUT! O.K.! Well, auditions are over, dear.," the teacher yelled, making him stop just when our faces were about a few centimeters apart. Thank GOD!

Heracles then let go of me and left the stage. What? That was it?

"Um, excuse me?," I asked all of the drama people that were rushing to their lunch break.

"Oh, sorry!," the drama teacher stopped again. "We'll have to talk the casting over during lunch, the roles will be posted everywhere, even the dorms.

"O.K., thank you.," I said, then left the theater.

UGH…the way they were in such a rush…I definitely blew it. Greece also probably thinks I'm a freaking weirdo and the drama teacher too. My acting was terrible and I probably couldn't act scared if my life depended on it-!

"Hey! I was watching in the back, that was pretty good for someone who says that they can't sing.," Seychelles just popped up from the back of the theater. "So how do you feel?"

"…Dizzy.," I replied, trying to smile, even if my head was still in circles from the tiring audition.

"You look more embarrassed if you ask me.," Seychelles said. "You're cheeks are so pink!"

Pink? PINK? …God, I probably looked so stupid.

"Well, at least you've got some color in your skin now.," Seychelles teased about my usually pale self.

"Oh, wow, thanks.," I retorted, but it was true…I took out a compact mirror and my cheeks were as pink as cherry blossoms. "Well, they said that they'll post up those who made it after lunch, so I'll give it about an hour or two."

* * *

I was pacing in the lobby of the dorm rooms for close to an hour and a half. Boy, was I nervous, and I was just doing this thing for fun…

As the door opened, my heart was practically in my throat. I saw Heracles walk towards the bulletin board with the list and…a bouquet (couldn't see what kind of flowers though…)? Aw, why am I getting my hopes up for? Those are most likely not for me, DUH! A bunch of the other girls that auditioned crowded around the bulletin board, he picked up the bouquet, and turned in the general direction of some girl. She was most likely the one that got the lead.

Wait, WHAT?

…No, there's no way he's coming this way…NONONONONONONONONONONO….NO…

Turns out, the bouquet was of blue roses…much like the one that I got…

"Well…congratulations.," he said, handing them over.

"U-Um, t-thank you!," never have I stuttered so much in my life.

_To be continued…_


	13. Chapter 13

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 13:**

My dear reader, if you're as confused as I am right now… I don't blame you. Seriously, I've only talked to Greece like once in a blue moon, and then he comes out with an amazing bouquet out of nowhere?... Certainly, I'm very suspicious of the situation…or is some this a cruel joke?

I knew for a fact that blue roses weren't naturally colored…so I consulted my friend Google to solve the mystery behind this bouquet. Clicking the first link in my search, it claimed that blue roses represented "mystery, the impossible, unattainable." I felt a pang of guilt as I read, "unattainable." Is that really what he thought of me? Was I really beyond hopeless when it came to the art of romance? Up until now, I've never really considered the chance of me actually dating. Well…I'm about a million miles away from New York, so maybe I should give it a try.

Later that day, I called Toris for some advice on how I should approach the situation.

_Ring…ring…ri-_

"H-Hello?," he answered.

"Um, hi!," I greeted him. "Say, I have something serious to talk to you about…"

"Hm? Are you O.K. or something? You sound awfully down right now-"

"Oh? Really? No, everything's fine…it's just…."

"Just what?," Toris kept on questioning me.

"Come over and I'll explain everything, O.K.? Bye.," I hung up on him.

In a few minutes, he was knocking at my dorm's door, …and Feliks decided to tag along with him.

"Hi! Haven't seen you two in a while!," I opened the door.

"Yeah! It's like, like, been forever since we talked!," Feliks walked on in, Toris following behind him. "So, what's up? Liet here said that you didn't sound like yourself on the phone a couple of minutes ago."

"Well…it's a long story…," I sighed, then proceeded to tell them of what had happened.

"He…like, like…_likes_ you then!," Feliks exclaimed.

"That's a bunch of crap and you know it.," I retorted.

"I think I have to agree with Feliks on this one: you found a single blue rose…then he just happened to give you a whole bouquet of them later...I think that anyone could figure out that he must feel something for you."

I thought about it for a moment: Toris and Feliks were right…but it just fit in so perfectly, I simply refused to believe it!

"Wait, I think I know what's your problem.," Feliks said. "You…are like, totally falling for-"

"O.K.! I wanted some advice but-"

"You were in denial with the whole Alfred thing, and now that he's moved on, maybe you should too."

"Since when did he move on? We weren't even together to begin with!," I replied. "I mean, it's not that I don't like him…it's just that…I BARELY KNOW HIM."

"Aw, we can fix that!," Feliks said, taking out his cellphone.

"NO. NO, DON'T. YOU. DARE.," I glared at him as his fingers hovered above the buttons.

"Oh, yes I do.," at a speed that rivaled the speed of light, Feliks dialed in a number, too bad I couldn't see whose it was, but I was pretty damn sure that it was Greece's. "Hello?"

I facepalmed. WHY did he have to do that?

"It's for you.," Feliks smiled in triumph.

Glaring at him, I replied shyly, "Um, hi!"

"…You just ran out of the dorm room lobby…was it something I said?," Heracles asked from the other end.

"What? No! It's not you, it's just me, O.K.?... if that makes any sense.," I said. "Say, I never got to properly thank you for the bouquet, it's beautiful."

"…Oh…you're welcome…you deserved it after that audition…the drama teacher insisted that I get you something."

My heart dropped into the lowest depths of my chest. The _teacher_ told him to get it? …So it meant nothing?

"…Hello?...Are you still there?...," he asked.

"O-Oh, yeah."

"So…are you free this week?"

My heart was pounding and now in my throat, "Y-Yeah! Why do you ask?"

"It's just…that…well…it's for the musical. You seriously need to practice now that you're an understudy.," and with that, we hung up.

…

"Soooo~…what happened?," Feliks asked excitedely.

"Do you consider a drama practice a date?," I asked, handing back his phone.

* * *

Later that week, I had to meet up with the drama people to practice through at least half of the first act. Feliks walked me over to the theater, attempting to give me some advice.

"Ugh, you're like, not listening to me!," Feliks whined.

"What?"

"Look, let him know you're interested!-"

"I'm NOT…you're basically forcing me to flirt with him!," I protested. "You know for a fact that I can't flirt for my life."

"An attitude like _that_ is what made you lose Aflred to Erin!," Feliks shook his head.

I mentally facepalmed. Really, Feliks? …Really?

"Well, for starters, you're a naturally clutz: some guys like that-"

"Feliks, we're here, and thanks for the advice, but I think I can handle the situation.," I said, leaving him in front of the theater doors.

* * *

God, was I so wrong… Throughout rehearsal, I couldn't stop myself from stammering and stuttering everytime HE came into the room…crap. Sadiq then called all of the minor roles to come on stage and told me to stand off to the side. Ugh, at least I can get a break to clear my head…

Thinking back to what Feliks told me…perhaps it couldn't hurt to at least try something? Hm… Looking around, I noticed that there's a small staircase on either side of the stage. Using the clutz factor in my personality, I could try tripping down and he comes to my rescue! Call it cliché, but it's a start, dammit!

After waiting for a minute or so, I saw Heracles walk back into the theater. Time for me to show off my clumsiness! I got up from sitting on the edge of the stage and "accidentally" tripped on my own foot walking down the stairs.

My efforts were to no avail as I came crashing down the small five stairs, landing on my side. Owie… I groaned as the rest of the cast stared in my direction. Ugh! Why didn't it work? Feliks, you liar-!

"…Are you O.K.?"

Just in damn-fucking-time! Where the hell were you when I just oh-so happened to trip upon my descent down the stairs?...

"Ugh…yeah…," I groaned, moving onto my back.

"What the heck are you doing over there?," I heard Sadiq call from onstage.

"I was going to walk around, and I…tripped!," I made up a quick, believeable lie.

For the rest of rehearsal, never have I felt so embarrassed in my life… After gathering all of my papers and crap, I just ran for the door.

"Soooo…what happened?," Feliks asked as we were walking back towards the dorms.

"Nothing, gosh…it was just normal practice.," I replied. "Oh, and by the way, that whole flirting with him via clutziness thing? …It FAILED…miserably!"

"Wha-?," Feliks exclaimed. "That's, like, impossible-!"

"Yeah, well…he probably thinks that I'm some freak who trips over her own feet!," I stomped off to my dorm, alone.

* * *

For the rest of the month, I didn't have any opportunity to even talk to him, not even during orchestra practice. But, Erin and Alfred's antics kept me entertained…for now-

"Tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day!," Erin came running up to me, even more bubbly and happy than she normally is.

"Um…great!," I gave her a shy smile and a thumbs up.

"Say…," she leaned in, talking in a whisper. "Alfred and I are heading off to a bar or something tomorrow…want to come with?-"

"W-What? Oh HELLLLLL NO!-"

"Awwww, c'mooooooon!," she whined. "It'll be fun!~"

"Fun?," I asked. "Yeah…about that-"

"Please! At least come for a little bit…," Erin continued to try and coax me into coming.

"UGH…fine!," I finally gave in. "ONLY for a little while…I gotta go to drama later, though."

"Great! Tomorrow: 5:30 at the gates. Don't be late!," Erin then ran off to class.

Crap…going to a bar…my parents are going to KILL me if word about this gets out.

The next day, I was waiting by the gates for a good thirty minutes…so just where the hell were Erin and Alfred? I glanced all around the campus once more…and behold…no one's here. I sighed, maybe I was late? Or maybe they stood me up! UGH…I'm going to KILL Alfred once I get my hands on him! Stomping off to the theater, I knew that I was DEFINITELY late for drama practice too.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry I'm late!," I ran down the aisle to the stage. To my surprise, no one was there. "Um, hello?..."

No response, this wasn't good. Oh God, Greece and Turkey are going to kill me!

"…What're you doing here?," what the hell was Greece doing here- no wait, that's good.

"Hm?," I turned to him on the other end of the stage. "Where's everyone else?"

"…I see…You didn't hear-"

"Hear what? Tell me!," I insisted.

"…Practice was cancelled for today…," Heracles explained.

"Well…alright…," I propped myself on the edge of the stage, sighing. "I can't believe that-…"

"That what?," my head turned to the right, just how fast did he get over here? "You don't seem like…yourself…"

"Oh…um, uh, it's nothing.," I stammered. "I was, um…waiting for someone earlier today…and they…never came." I looked down at my feet with my face in my hands, when I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders.

"…So you were stood up…it's alright.," I heard him say.

"Stood up? No, I mean, I was probably late or maybe they were in a rush-"

"How long were you waiting?...," Greece continued to question me.

"Roughly half an hour.," I replied.

"…I've been waiting for someone, too…"

My heart began to pound like crazy, could this mean something?

"For who? …How long and…why?," I asked, picking my face up, only to have it held in his fingers. Gasping, my eyes met with his teal ones. "S-Seriously, what the hell is going on?" Gulping hard…I waited for his response.

"…Ever since you first walked into the theater…I've been waiting…to do this."

HUH? There was _no_ way that this was happening! Our faces drew in closer by the second, with one part of me screaming, "Do it!" and a tiny voice telling me to resist. Just before our lips touched, I pulled away saying, "I'm sorry…but…I-!"

_Ring…ring…ri-_

God, there was never a better time for my cellphone to ring! "Um, just give me a second.," I said to a rather flabbergasted Greece. "Hello?"

"Heeeeeeeyyyy~…," I heard Erin's voice, with some blasting music in the background.

"Erin? Where are you?," I asked.

"This is one hell of a party, we've been waiting for you!," Erin explained.

I held my tongue, not wanting to scream, "Well, you guys stood me up!" But just why the heck was she calling me for?

"What're you calling for? I'm in the middle of…something.," I replied.

"Oh, just wonderin' where you were….~," her words were starting to slur, probably had too much to drink now.

"I'm here…on campus-"

"Pfft! You're missing out on all the fun!," and with that, the line went dead.

"What the hell?," I quietly cursed, putting away my cellphone, then turned back to Greece. "I'm sorry that I…well…had to pull away…it's just that-"

"…No…it's fine…but it is getting late.," Heracles took a look at the clock on the wall.

"Oh…really?," I glanced at my watch.

"…Is it alright if I…walk you back to your room?"

"Um, sure!," I accepted his offer, trying my hardest not to blush.

The walk back to the dorms was in complete silence, although I could feel his gaze on me at times. However, I dared to break this silence once we were at my door.

"…Thanks.," I said, opening my door. "I guess I'll see you around."

He only nodded and was off on his way.

…Gosh, it's so hard to tell what's going on in that guy's head…was he mad at me? Ignoring me? Oh, if he's ignoring _me_, then he's got another thing coming if-

Well, I don't think he would do that…I know for a fact that he's not a jerk...

* * *

In homeroom, it was just priceless to see Erin and Alfred trying to recover from a huge hangover from the night before. Lucky for me, I stayed sober! …Well…some people would give me some odd looks if I actually said it out loud, but who cares?

"…H…HEEEYY!~," Erin waved to me, fighting the urge to fall asleep at her desk.

"Had fun?," I asked.

"Yep!," she replied, then put her head down for a bit.

Really, I should stop tormenting the poor girl, I've never been hungover so I have no right to judge. Alfred was no better, though. Arthur tried to smack some sense into him, but it was in vain as he kept rambling on about his 'alien' friend Tony and some other…stuff…

Well, that Friday went along rather smoothly until still-hungover Alfred decided to start a food fight in cooking class. Pastries, flour, even cooking utensils were flying around like crazy. However, I avoided getting dough caked into my hair by hiding underneath my counter. Erin decided to join in the fight, throwing England's cooking right back at him.

Ugh, speaking of food, I was hungry, luckily lunch was next!

Today, I had some uncanny feeling to play the piano. Remember that free music room? Well, I ran out of cooking class to get there before Roderich could. Sorry, but he always gets the piano first, but now was my turn.

Closing the huge door behind me quietly, I dashed to the piano bench and glided my fingers on the smooth ivory keys. God, have I missed the piano! After warming up with a couple of major scales, I played the first thing that came to my head: Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca. Yeah, according to my fellow pianist friend back home, that was like, my song for a good few months. But I was supposed to play this at a concert then, so I wasn't jamming to this for no particular reason.

After a good few minutes of playing Mozart, I decided to pry out this Beethoven piece I had, Sonata Pathetique, Opus 13. It was a long piece, probably would take me ten minutes at least to get through it… But to hell with it!

I shivered as I struck the chords, feeling a bit nostalgic of the hours I spent on practicing it with my teacher. Seriously, music is hard work, we musicians just make it _look_ easy! Quickly approaching a dramatic measure in the music, I messed around with the crenscendos as the phrase reached its peak-

"There you are! Where the bloody hell have you been?," just what the hell was Arthur doing here?

I abruptly stopped, my clumsy fingers struck a couple of sour notes, making me twitch a little at the terrible sound.

"W-WHAT THE HELL ARE _YOU_ DOING HERE?," I scrambled to gather the sheet music off of the stand.

"Hm? Was that you?," aw, crap, and Austria was behind him? Being the hardcore pianist, he'll critisize me to death on this!

"Yeah, yeah, but what're you two doing here?," I asked again, putting my music away.

"Well, I'm always here practicing, but it seems that you beat me to it.," Roderich explained. "I was also wondering of who in the school would even have the caliber to play that-"

"Hmph, I'd rather not hear what you have to say about my playing.," I said, getting up from the piano bench. "I was done playing for now anyway."

"Wait!," I heard Arthur say before I left.

"O.K., just what the hell do you want-?"

"I haven't seen you since that…incident in cooking class, and I'd like to apologize for nearly killing you with my cooking.," he explained, obviously embarrassed.

"Oh…," I sighed. "Please, don't blame yourself, I haven't told anyone about my peanut allergy until now. I was pretty sure that they informed the nurse when I came in September."

"Apologizing is the very least that I can do for you."

"It's fine, at least they had my Epipen (**A/N: **This is a needle that people with serious allergies carry around, it has a small dose of adrenaline enough for one injection that counters the effects of some serious allergic reactions.).," I insisted, I honestly didn't want him to feel bad about it. "Really, there's some blame on my part, I wasn't careful and I should've noticed something."

"Right…-"

"Are you two going to keep standing around and chitchatting all day long or leave me in piece to play some Chopin?," an irritated Austria said, seated at the piano.

With that said and done, I left to go get ready for P.E. next period.

* * *

I mean, I love the springy March weather…but why the hell were we going to start swimming _now?_ Now, in case you're wondering, we weren't going to be swimming outside, that's just crazy. I mean, this is the World Academy, of course they'll have an outdoor and indoor pool! Ugh, but if there's one thing that I'm not good at, it's swimming. Now drowning, there's something I'm perfect in!

Knowing that we were starting swimming, I packed my swimsuit the night before. Unlike all of the other girls whipping out bikinis, I had one of those swimsuits with a knee-length skirt and a tank top thing. Our crazy P.E. teacher came out and separated the class: boys on one end and girls on the other.

"Alright, class!," the teacher yelled. "Today's drill is simple: swim to the other end of the pool, got it?"

"Yeah!"

"Sure!"

How the hell were these people so excited? The pool was a good _seven_ feet deep! All the pools I've ever been in were at most, six, and even then I never went into the deep end. We alternated as one of the boys would swim over to our side, then one of us girls would swim over to their end. Luckily, I was the last to go, but even knowing that…I was still scared.

"Hey! What're you waiting for?," I heard the teacher yell at me.

"C'mon! Get over here already!," Erin called from the other end.

I gulped, and just thought of it like going to the beach back in New York. Hey, I was born by the water, so this shouldn't be any challenge for me!-

"Yo, Jack what the heck are you standing around for?," Alfred said. "You're not as heavy as you think, I'm sure you'll float to the other side-!"

"ARE YOU SAYING THAT I'M _FAT?_," I screamed, a couple of 'Oh's and 'Ah's followed.

"There's no way she can be fat, Alfred. With a pancake-flat ass like that, she won't drown.," I heard Denmark's familiar voice among the crowd of boys behind me.

"WHAT?," I yelled, glaring back at the snickering boys.

GRRR…I'll show them! So, I dived headfirst into the chlorine-filled water- Wait, I didn't take a breath! Hey, why can't I see the surface? Ugh, this chlorine is stinging my eyes!

Crap! I can't breathe! My lungs are practically filling up with this distgusting water!...

…Once again, I blacked out as I sunk into the watery depths.

* * *

Wait…so I'm _not_ dead! Yay! But, there was this overwhelming pain in my chest, like some strong pressure building up from the bottom of my lungs. Then, I felt someone run their fingers through my hair, perhaps he or she was the one that saved me! My eyes had begun to flutter open-

"Hey! Wake up, my little mermaid, are you O.K?"

_Excuse me?_

_To be continued..._


	14. Chapter 14

_A Year at the World Academy..._

**Chapter 14:**

My eyes shot open at the rather terrible pick-up line. I then proceeded to sit up, also coughing out the remaining water in my lungs. Ew.

"Hey, kid, are you alright?," the P.E. teacher asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Y-Yeah, I think so.," my voice slightly quivered.

"What the hell were you doing? You were unresponsive for a good five minutes!," Alfred came running over from the locker rooms, I noticed that he had changed back into his regular uniform. Ugh, perhaps P.E. class was already long over. "Being the hero, I sat by my damsel in distress-!"

"Your _what?_," I interrupted. "Excuse me, but I kept on telling you people that I can't swim. But did you listen? NOOOOO!"

"Hey! Aren't you forgetting somebody?," I turned my head to my left. What the hell was Denmark still doing here? It was Alfred's and his fault that I'm even in this situation! They should be apologizing!

"Um...," I thought.

"Hey, how about the guy that _saved your life?_"

"Oh! Yeah, just where is he?," I looked around, only to find a rather disappointed Denmark. "Wait, what!"

After thinking hard about the situation for a moment, I had an epiphany: O.K., just how does the same guy that provoked me to jump into the water in the first place just happen to be the one that saved me from a watery grave? Was anything going on right now even making a miniscule amount of sense?

"But, seriously: how does a twig like you sink like a rock?," Denmark asked casually.

Embarrassed and offended, I retorted, "You know, muscle weighs more than fat, and I go to Tae Kwon Do at least three times a week... What, do you think I'm _fat?_"

"Wha-? No! Whoops, I didn't mean that!," he replied.

"Mm-hm… thanks for the boost in self-esteem, jerk!," I crossed my arms, then proceeded to go change and get my stuff in the locker rooms.

I'm such a mean bitch, aren't I?

* * *

Thank the ramen gods that no one stole my stuff while I was slowly dying! I changed out of my soaked swimsuit and headed to the dorms to take a shower after all of that commotion. Really, after nearly dying twice in the past few months, I think that a long afternoon nap suited me well.

After scrubbing out all of the chlorine off my body, I changed into my usual jeans and t-shirt. To start off my lazy afternoon, I plopped myself in front of my laptop. Oh, that's a surprise, I've got mail! At a first glance, I didn't recognize the e-mail address, but upon closer inspection…wait, how the hell did Denmark get my e-mail address? I know that we hung out during the Christmas Break quite a lot…but this was just random beyond comprehension to me.

_Say, you haven't properly repaid me_ _for saving your life, let's talk._

Gulping, I suddenly felt guilty in having walked out on him and the others. I then checked the date on which it was sent: Today, also not too long after I stormed out of P.E. Dang, just what kind of shit do I keep getting myself into? I then closed the e-mail inbox window with a single click. Ugh…maybe I should just keep to myself until this whole thing blows over…

Well, a couple of uneventful weeks passed. It was rather disappointing, too. How could April Fools' have passed so smoothly? Something was up…but, whatever, I can live without some childish pranks.

But honestly, how did I not notice before that Mei (Taiwan) still has a thing for Kiku?

"Awwwww!," I cooed as Mei clutched this precious piece of paper to her chest, we girls were sitting at a table together during lunch. This piece of paper, which reeked of cherry blossoms, was basically the Japanese man's way of asking a girl out. Really, I think that Kiku could've chosen a more, I don't know…_romantic_ way to ask out Mei again. I knew that it must've felt SOOOO awkward since they kind-of broke up last year, but I don't care: this is another chance for me to play as the Matchmaker among my friends! Mwahahaha…

"He was just asking me out to have some coffee on Sunday, it's no big deal…," Mei protested, trying to hide her cheeks that were quickly turning red.

"Sure it is…," the rest of the girls: Elizaveta, Liechtenstein, Seychelles, and Belgium and I retorted. We were soooo going to dictate the poor girl's love life for the next few days…

"Ugh…what should I wear?"

"I say the pink one."

"No, the blue one!"

Ah, I just felt so girly today…we were helping Mei pick out her outfit for her "date" with Kiku that afternoon. Even though this was a huge change from my usual stoic-ness…I felt myself smile while I was reading latest issue of _The Hetalian_. Seriously, when was the last time _you_ read your school newspaper? Well, being a sap on the inside, I turned to the Horoscope section of the paper.

_"Virgo: Hey, there's not much more that you can say, so don't waste your voice or effort…"_

Geez, talk about a positive outlook on the future…

_"Move on or you'll just get frustrated."_

Hmph...well people have always told me to relax.

_"Romance seems likely this week."_

Bullshit. O.K., screw Horoscopes. Stuffing the newspaper back into my bag, I said, "Say, Mei, have you chosen something yet? You don't want to keep your Kiku-kun waiting!"

"S-Shut up! It's not like that!," Mei came out blushing in some pink dress with a light blue sash at her waist. "Do I look O.K.?"

"Oh my gosh, it suits you so well!," Belgium said.

"Yeah, pink is so your color, but adding in something different couldn't hurt.," Liechtenstein quietly commented.

"Alright, now you'd better get going, Kiku's probably pacing in circles, just absolutely crazy for-"

"Jackie, you didn't do anything!," Hungary said, crossing her arms.

"Hey, I was here for emotional support!," I protested.

"Emotional support, yeah right!," Seychelles added, agreeing with Elizaveta.

"Ugh, fine, then what do you want me to do?," I asked.

"You are going to bring her over there, make sure she doesn't chicken out-"

"Sure! It's not like I'm right here, listening to you!," Mei said out loud, obviously not appreciating them talking about her like that.

"If you insist…," I groaned. "Alright Mei, let's go."

* * *

We were quickly approaching the coffee place and Mei was starting to freak out.

"What do I do?"

"What can we talk about?"

"What if I run out of things to say?"

"What if-!"

"Listen to me, Mei.," I cut her off. "You look _stunning_, you _know_ this guy…you _got_ this!" I should soooo be commended for my oh-so inspiring pep talks that I give like, once in a blue moon.

"You really think so?," her brown eyes lit up. "Thanks-"

"Don't mention it, now when we get there-"

"Oh, look! He's already here!," Mei interrupted, then she practically dragged me over to where Kiku was waiting for her. Gosh, her grip was rather tight. Well, I could obviously see that Kiku himself was nervous about the whole thing and-

Wait, who the heck is that?

"Hi Kiku!," Mei happily greeted him, making his cheeks immediately flush a light pink.

She had let go of me, but my gaze didn't let go of the friend that Kiku had brought along. I'll give you a hint: who else in this dang school has the ability to fall asleep in every single class and probably loves cats more than Kiku? Goddammit! Why? Fate is such a bitch, or maybe it's me that's the bitch…

Gosh, I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't notice Kiku and Mei walk off together, leaving me alone with his friend. Wanting to say something to Heracles, I kept my mouth shut. Seriously, my life would be so much less complicated if I had always shut my mouth, right? A good forty-five seconds passed with nary a blink or eye contact made. Once I had built up the courage to say a word, he took a few steps towards me. Aw crap, what do I do-!

…My fears were put to rest as Heracles simply walked away.

I was relieved, at first…but a little hurt inside. O.K., _NO_, this doesn't mean that I like him, but…after leading on a girl like this…you'd think that he would have had the guts to do something.

Pfft, whatever. At least now I can relax, dealing with these conflicting emotions is just not my forte.

* * *

"You want me to do WHAT?," I looked at the Geometry teacher like he was crazy that following Monday morning.

"I'm so sorry, but if you looked at his grades, they're nothing compared to when you were tutoring him.," he handed me Alfred's recent geometry test.

Scanning over his work, my heart just fell into the deepest depths of my chest. All of his mistakes were stupid ones, which was what bothered me. Was he seriously _stupid_ or just _not_ trying?

"I'm afraid he won't pass this semester if he doesn't brush up on his test scores.," the teacher grimly said.

Sighing, I finally conceded. Honestly, it's not that I didn't want to help Alfred get his grades up again…but why was he suddenly failing so badly? Really, after I tutored him back long before Christmas break, he really didn't need it anymore. Now, it just seems like he was really distracted, or something…

"All I'm asking is that he can at least _pass_ his next test-"

"I'll be sure to make him practically _ace_ it.," I said proudly, giving back Alfred's test paper.

That afternoon, I ran back to the Geometry classroom after Orchestra practice, where Alfred was waiting, drumming his fingers on his desk. Really, it just felt awkward being back in that setting, almost like déjà frickin' vu.

"So, Alfred?," I timidly opened the door just a crack.

"Hey, what's up?," he happily greeted.

"Yeah, now would you care to explain _this?_," I pointed accusingly at his test paper's grade on his desk.

"Oh, um, yeeeaaah…about that…!," Alfred nervously replied. "I guess I was having a bad day?"

"The Alfred F. Jones that _I _know wouldn't _dare _say that "the HERO" had a bad day.," I retorted.

"Well, I guess it's because things are different now-"

"Seriously, your tone is scaring me, there's obviously something wrong.," I took a seat next to him. "Really, you can tell me, or perhaps Erin-"

"Erin wouldn't know about this.," Alfred interrupted. "…It's just that…"

"What! Spit it out already!"

"…I've missed having you around, you know?," he looked down. "I mean, I love Erin and all…but it was different hanging out with you."

_SAY WHAT?_ I was just flabbergasted at his excuse. Gosh, Alfred could really be so silly sometimes, right? "Ugh, don't worry about it, Alfred! I've been neck-deep in schoolwork, and I'm sorry for not hanging out as much. In fact, I haven't been hanging out with _anybody_ as much lately."

"Really?," Alfred asked, picking his head up. "I could've sworn that I heard Seychelles and Poland say that-"

Grrrr… If they told him about my drama audition, I'm going to kill her…

"Whatever, let's just forget about that for now and I'll help you with this.," I tried to completely change the subject as I reached for his geometry work, but his hand grabbed mine before I could even pick it up.

"Just…," he held my hand tight and made me look him straight in the eye before saying, "…don't forget about your hero, O.K.?"

"Uh…," my mind went blank for a moment, allowing him to seize this opportunity to wrap his arms around me. Breaking off the hug I reassured him, "Of course I won't, alright? Now, with these theorems-"

"Say, we should totally hang out this weekend! Does Friday work for you?"

"Um-"

"Awesome! I guess 3:30 is also cool with you, right?"

Realizing that I couldn't argue with him, I smiled, "Yeah, Friday, 3:30…I got it."

After that awkward moment was engraved in my head for all eternity, we went on with his work, and as promised…well, let's just say that Alfred was able to pass Geometry for the semester.

* * *

Well, it's finally Friday again…nothing much really happened throughout the rest of the week, aside from classes, Orchestra, and drama rehearsals. However, I was still pretty shaken up by what Alfred said to me the other day. "Don't forget about your hero?" Geez, this is too depressing for Alfred F. Jones. But I had to admit, I could still feel that awkward embrace and to be honest…I really didn't mind it-

OH GOD, what's wrong with me today? Even if I did feel something for this guy, …he's Erin's guy now. Speaking of Erin, I wonder how she was doing nowadays-

My cell phone's ringtone interrupted my train of thought. Hm, I wonder who was calling me now? Glancing at the caller I.D., it was Alfred. Speaking of Alfred, where is he? He's 15 minutes late!

"Hello?," I answered.

"Hey, sorry Jack, but I gotta bail on you now.," Alfred replied, it sounded like he was in a rush or something.

"What? What happened?," I demanded to know.

"It's Erin, we're kind of in a tight situation here…and I don't want to leave her so angry at me-"

"Someone's mad at the hero? What the _hell_ did you do to her, Alfred?," I was fuming at the fact that he would do something like that to my friend.

"It's a long story, and I'll talk to you later, 'kay?," and with that said, he hung up on me.

Still fuming, I had to find out what the hell had happened between the two of them. I thought that they were totally into each other! Just what the heck was going on-

"Hey, what's up?," is it just me, or has Denmark been popping out of nowhere lately?

Glaring, I said, "It's none of your business."

"Doesn't look like it, just why are you so upset, anyway?," he started walking toward me.

"Like I said, it's none of your damn business!," I turned to walk away when his strong grip secured my poor wrist. "Hey, let go!" My muscles immediately tensed up as I tried to yank out my hand, and of course, I had no such luck.

"Say, since your "hero" can't be here now…," he leaned in closer so that we were face-to-face. "…how would you like to spend the rest of the day with the King of Northern Europe?" (**A/N: **Just as America constantly calls himself the hero, Denmark often refers to himself as the "King of Northern Europe.")

"Um…no?," I felt my cheeks instantly flush pink, trying to avert my eyes to avoid my cheeks from turning into a deeper color. Geez, why did he have to be so close?

"Hm, that's weird, I've never seen you blush-!," Denmark chuckled, then ran off to the campus gates, of course dragging me behind.

"W-Wait! I didn't agree to this!," I protested, trying to resist against his firm grip.

"Relax, O.K.?," he grinned, still dragging me along on this little escapade.

Gulping hard, I glanced at my watch, then at the clear skies above my head. I had a few hours to kill…what could go wrong?

* * *

"O.K., it's rather weird that you're dragging me out here like this, just what the heck is going on?," I asked him. Really, first Alfred, and now Denmark? This past week has sort of been some sort of nostalgia trip of the first half of the year: me tutoring Alfred in Geometry again and now just randomly hanging out with this guy since Alfred' s not around. Honestly, have you ever felt like fate is pulling your chain just to mess with you? Well, that's how I feel right now…

"What? We haven't seen each other much lately, so what's up?," Denmark casually replied.

"Oh, nothing much- Wait! Don't go changing the subject!," I replied.

"Pfft, just because America doesn't want to see you anymore, it doesn't mean that you have to lash out at me.," he pouted, looking the other way.

"What!," I exclaimed. "He _promised_ that we could hang out today, it's just that he and Erin aren't doing too well nowadays, so I'm letting him ditch me, for Erin's sake-"

"Hm? Really? Sounds like she could be jealous or something…," Denmark smirked.

"Hey! You don't _know_ Erin, so shut up!," I retorted in my friend's defense. "I bet Alfred just said or did (or both) something stupid, and I'm pretty sure that he's not cheating on her, 'cause if he did…" Cue in me cracking my knuckles menacingly.

"God, you're pretty oblivious, aren't you?," he sighed, tousling my hair.

"Just _what_ do you mean?," I proceeded to fix my hair as Denmark stopped in the middle of the bustling sidewalk and grabbed my shoulders, practically forcing us to look into each other's eyes. "…What the hell's going on?"

"Seriously, wouldn't this Erin girl be a bit suspicious of Alfred wanting to suddenly hang out with you? Especially with a face like yours?"

Pardon my language, but _what the fuck?_ I stayed silent, not having a smart-assed retort this time.

"Listen, has anyone ever told you before that you're pretty cute?," he came out and said it to my face, literally. Gosh, this guy's got guts…

"U-u-um…n-n-no, b-but I-I u-um, appreciate the c-compliment-," I stuttered, obviously torn between feeling embarrassed or flattered. Really, I should've borrowed Ludwig's copy of "Relationships: For Dummies" if I had known something like _this_ would happen.

"You know what? You're freaking hopeless.," Denmark's head just fell, looking rather disappointed.

"Hopeless for what?"

"I _know _that you're not this stupid and oblivious, but just sayin'…," his vague dialogue left me in suspense.

"Out with it, already!-"

An ominous smile crawled onto his face, his grip tightening on my bony shoulders.

"Hey, quit messing around!," I hissed.

"But I'm dead serious about this.," leaning in closer, his lips were literally just a few inches away from mine.

"No, please!," I begged, pushing him away. He backed up a good deal from my face almost instantly. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-!"

"Nevermind, just forget about it, O.K.?," he finally let go of me, to my relief, but what was that all about? "I'm sorry about what I said about Erin, I totally take it back, it was none of my business. I gotta meet up with Norway and the others anyway, later."

"No! Wait!," I protested. "I don't understand, I-" He was already walking away into the distance. "Den-!" I went to call for him, if wasn't for the cursed storm clouds that started to gather overhead. "Shit!" Now insert some corny music to complete this cliché, soap-opera scene.

* * *

Honestly, I hate rain sometimes, how about you? Luckily for me, I managed to go out and quickly buy an umbrella to ensure that I won't be soaked by the time I get back to the campus. Seriously, what was Denmark's problem nowadays? He wasn't acting all confident (and perhaps arrogant) as he usually does…so something was up. In fact, I think that there's something up with _everybody_ here now!

…After I thought long and hard about it for a second, the answer hit me in the form of some epiphany as the rain started to let up. Ah!~ How could I have forgotten? Spring's in the air, and when you add some hormone-charged teenagers… Geez, what kind of messed up analysis of the situation have I concocted?

But, whatever. I think I'm starting to forget that I'm a teenager too. Sad, I know-

Wait! Who was that? I squinted as I caught eye of a human figure ahead as I approached the dorms. Whoever it was, why were they sitting (or maybe sleeping?) out here in the pouring freakin' rain?

"Hey! YOU!," I ran over to the rescue with my umbrella. See? I can be considerate, too! Upon closer inspection of this lone individual, …who would've freakin' guessed that it was everyone's favorite cat-loving nation? Really, doesn't my life just seem like one of those predictable click-flicks? Ugh, well, there's no use in arguing with fate, so I proceeded to attempt to wake him up.

"…Wakey, wakey!," I said. No response.

"Greece…" Goddamn, this guy was a deep sleeper.

"Heracles?"

…Was _anything_ going to work out for me today?-

Wait, I got an idea…

"_Meow~_"

His blue-green (**A/N:** In the anime, Greece's eyes are green, but according to the Hetalia Wikia, they're blue-green or some other color like that. Personally, I think the anime kind of screws up some of the character's colors, so whatever. Plus, I think he looks cuter with blue-green ones anyway.) immediately opened with my poor imitation of a meowing kitty.

"Um, hi!," Boy, do I know how to make a conversation, don't I? "What're you doing out here, don't you know that you can get freaking _sick_ from staying out too long?"

"…Yes…but I guess that I was…too caught up in my own thoughts…and I fell asleep.," he replied, obviously still a bit drowsy. "…Sorry for making you worry-"

"Worry? Whoever said anything about _me_ being worried, huh?," I retorted. Crap, UGH! I'm such an idiot, now _why _do I come up with a smart-ass comment now? "Never mind, the least I can do is help you dry up."

* * *

Where I got the idea to bring this guy into my dorm, I do not know…but one thing's for sure…just _how long_ was Heracles out there? He was practically soaking wet! Once we got to my dorm, I rushed to get a towel, not wanting to risk soaking my floors too.

"Here, you can dry yourself off with this for now.," I threw it over his shoulders. "Just what were you thinking about so much about that made you fall asleep out there anyway?"

"…Well…I was looking for one of my cats…and I kind of dozed off…"

Really? Well, there'll be no missing kitties on my watch! But first, I went to go find more towels, or something of the sort to help dry him off when I heard him start sneezing.

"Sounds like you're starting to get a cold, too.," I sighed, then went to go search my medicine cabinet. Having peanut allergies, I always keep antihistamines close by, that and some over the counter stuff for the cold and flu. Ah, I could always count on my mom for providing me with prescriptions for all this stuff…

Now that I've gone and explained the contents of my medicine cabinet, I took out a bottle of some of that over the counter stuff I mentioned. "Here, this should help." He didn't respond much as I held out the medicine. "Or would you want to swallow it with something? Drinking a lot of fluids helps with stuff like this."

"…Sure…"

Not one for words, isn't he? I grabbed a glass of water from my tiny kitchen and he was finally willing to swallow it. While he slowly swallowed the medicine, I couldn't help but notice some small droplets of water still dangling from his hair. Sighing, I said, "Hmph…you didn't dry yourself completely." Taking the towel, I had to get on my tip-toes to reach the top of his head. "There, that's better."

Putting his empty glass on a nearby side table, Heracles asked, "…Why did you help me?...Weren't you and America supposed to go on a date today-?"

"It's not a date, I swear!," I oh-so rudely interrupted. "Ugh, but that's beside the point. I couldn't help but wonder why you would go out and get yourself sick like this. That and I consider you a…rather close acquaintance of mine." Yeah, now don't you go thinking that "close acquaintance"="I like you," O.K.? "Now how about that lost kitty?"

* * *

"I think I last saw him running down… this alley.," Heracles pointed to a rather shady area of the campus.

"Hm, you sure?," I asked. "Doesn't look like the place where a kitty would like to hide."

"…I'm pretty sure that I saw him…," he replied, running off to the alley.

"Wait up!," I ran after him with my umbrella.

Perhaps running off with a man to find his cat in a dark alley wasn't the brightest idea. I looked up, down, left, right, all over, and no trace of the missing kitty.

"Greece?," I walked over to him, he was farther in the dryer depths of the alley, very little rain trickled down here. But I could see that he was once again, soaking wet from running out here again in all of a sudden. Geez… "Yeah, I don't think he's here…"

"Oh, …well, thank you.," he said. "I wish I could repay you…"

"Don't mention it, just…well…I don't know…," I continued rambling on, not knowing what else to say, until I let out one of my infamous loud sneezes. Crap, maybe running out in the rain wasn't such a good idea after all…

"…So you're sick too?"

"N-No! It's probably nothing.," I replied with a nervous laugh. Aw, who am I kidding? Spring is here and so is allergy season.

"…You're shivering, too.," Heracles said, bringing to my attention that my hands were still shaking from the damn cold outside. Really, how the heck did I forget that I was also pretty soaking wet? My entire back was freezing cold, and so was my neck, and from experience, I knew that this was a bad sign. Leaving such vulnerable points on your body was just an invitation for illness. Taking the jacket loosely place on his shoulders, he wrapped it around my back. "…Well…thanks again for your help…"

"No problem-"

"Say, …I should thank you…in some way…," he gripped my chin, making me look up.

"Um, no thanks!," I said. "Why don't I just-"

Before I could further explain myself, he immediately pulled me into him. Geez, what was the big deal with everyone suddenly having a strong grip? And this is coming from a martial artist, mind you…

"U-Um…Heracles?-," I asked, well, it actually sounded more like a whimper. Ugh, I can't sound so pathetic in the close proximity of a hot guy- no! Um… 'good-looking' is the term I'm looking for!

"…I don't want to seem so…ungrateful for your help, so I hope _this_ is enough for making you worry your pretty face about me…," O.K., is it just me, or is that the longest that he has ever talked? Oh wait, what did he mean by "_this_?" I could just feel the butterflies in my stomach whirling up a storm. But that was nothing compared to when our lips touched.

…Wait, OH _HEEEEEEELLLLL_ NO! There is no way this is happening! I attempted to break it off, but in opening my mouth, that just left me completely hopeless as his tongue slipped in. Oh, God… seriously, don't get the idea that I'm enjoying this- Aw, who am I kidding?

I tried to beg him to stop, but my "Please…" came out more like a moan. Ugh, he was sooo waiting for me to hear me say that. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of practically dominating the kiss, I closed my mouth shut. In response to denying him entrance, I was thrust against the wall. Crap, getting out of this wasn't going to be easy, but thank GOD we finally separated for the sake of air!

"So, that's it?," I asked in a sly tone. Yeah, there was no way I was walking out of here with him having practically claimed my mouth his!

"Well…that depends…but if you'll stay-"

"Ah, I think I'll stay…but only for a little while longer."

I'll leave it to your sick, twisted imaginations of how that "little while longer" turned out, but let's just say that my mouth is still some "uncharted territory."

Say, is it considered treason if I, a human, kiss a nation other than my own? Well, if it is, I'm totally guilty.

_To be continued_


	15. What? Fanart?

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Fanart?**

O.K., hello readers! Personally, I'm so surprised at how many people ended up liking "A Year at the World Academy," and I've gone through the trouble of drawing some stuff for you on deviantART. Just search for my username and you should eventually find your way there.

Well, excuse my FAIL Photoshop skills, but enjoy! If anyone else plans to post up fanart, let me know! All links to fanart will be listed here, with a description.

~Nagareboshi-Aitoshuu


	16. Chapter 15

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 15:**

My heart was pounding like crazy. Seriously, was I dreaming? How do I know that I'm not dreaming? The situation just seemed so unreal for me to believe. Honestly, is it even humanly _possible_ for me to even end up in such a scenario? I snapped out of my inner-monologue as we finally separated. Oh dear God, what really scares me now…I was kinda actually hoping for more…

"Oh…my…God…," I gasped, panting for air. "Oh gosh, I shouldn't be doing this!"

"…Why? No one has to know.," Heracles insisted.

"No, it's not you, it's me.," I sighed. "I'm a human, and you're a nation: this is going to be awkward beyond comprehension, you know?"

"…I thought that you were the kind of girl that wouldn't care about things like that…or about what people will think.," he replied.

Damn did he have me stumped there… "Yeah, but we've literally wasted half of the year…how can I start caring for you when I don't have a lot of time left?" Ugh, I _knew_ for a fact that my time at the World Academy was finite, and I think that he may have forgotten that little detail.

"Well then…let's make the rest of the year count...O.K.?," he concluded, caressing my face.

"Alright…," I couldn't help but smile. Screw time, …and screw what everyone else may think! There's nothing stopping me from having the time of my life here.

* * *

Luckily, word of my little affair that afternoon did not get out. Phew! I would've been bombarded with questions, rumors, accusations, and all that good stuff. Hey, if I thought that _that_ was bad…just think what would happen if my conservative Asian parents heard of this! Not only would they be pissed that I got with some guy, but they would have simultaneous heart attacks if they found out that he wasn't even the slightest bit Asian. Ah, I'm such a good daughter, aren't I?

The week following my affair (Yes, that's what I'm going to call it. Why? Well, it sounds more scandalous~) went by with an endless cycle of homework, projects, and tests. Ugh, didn't the teachers know that Spring Break was just around the corner? …Hmph, apparently not!

"UGH…," I sighed, my head on my desk. You know what? I deserved an afternoon nap. It was my two last periods of the day: Global History, and Roderich had called off orchestra practice. A free afternoon was indeed a rare occurrence for me. We had the essay portion of our test and you knowing my smart-ass nature, I was obviously long done with my essay. I had to write about Napoleon Bonnaparte and Hitler! Francis and Ludwig would be proud (O.K., maybe not Ludwig…).

"Hey! You! Stop it!," I heard the teacher yell. Ugh, what was it _this_ time? "Denmark, if I catch you _one_ more time, you'll be in detention for the rest of the year!"

Ah, what was this guy up to now? I picked up my head to see the nation's eyes retreat to his own test paper. Tryin' to cheat off of me, eh? Well, too bad!

My eyes set their gaze on the damned clock that seemed to tick just ever so slowly, like it was just mocking me: "Ha! It's not Spring Break until I say it's 3:00!"

3…2…1…

_RIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGG!_ The final bell rung throughout the whole school, Spring Break has officially started. I heard a stampede of students running down the hallways outside, and I'm anxious to join them.

"Alright, class. Hand in your essay as you leave and enjoy your vacation.," the global teacher proclaimed.

I immediately jumped out of my seat, handed in my test, and ran out to find my little circle of friends waiting for me outside.

"Boy, that test was just torture, right?," Elizaveta said.

"Indeed…," I sighed, the others (Seychelles, Belgium, Mei, Liechtenstein, and Vietnam) agreed. "So, where are we going to now?"

"We're gonna hit the city's streets tonight!," Belgium proclaimed.

"Isn't it a great idea? Just a girls' night out thing, right?," Seychelles asked me.

Obviously, I was a bit uneasy about this little shindig that my friends were planning on. Really, I'm a bit worried and suspicious about their idea of a "girls' night out."

"Sounds fun, but I just remembered, I have a-," I tried to bail myself out of it.

"NO!," Elizaveta whined. "There is _no_ way that you're getting out of this! Now, we gotta give you a total makeover before we hit the town."

"Wha-?," I exclaimed.

"Yeah, there's no way you're going out in jeans and a t-shirt this time.," Seychelles added.

Sighing, I had no choice but to let them drag me back to my dorm.

* * *

Well, upon my discovery, someone wrote their phone number on my arm! The girls said that I should go take a shower while they call Feliks over to sort out my outfit for the night. Just who could have the guts to do such a thing? Judging from the ink, it was probably done recently… and rather sloppily too, I might add. Shrugging off that fact, I quickly recopied the number on a post-it somewhere. Whoever the hell wrote this number is going to get one hell of a call from me later.

"Don't you, like, have _anything_ here?," Feliks exclaimed, practically dissecting my entire wardrobe. Elizaveta had convinced him to give me this so-called total makeover. Why a guy was doing this? …Well, I have no idea. But, I knew that, for a guy, Feliks has a better fashion sense than I do.

"What do you mean?," I asked, still lounging around in my bathrobe, drying my hair, which was taking _forever_ to dry. Damn did I forget how long my hair is…

"Ah! Now what do have here?," Feliks held up the cursed miniskirt from the Christmas Break.

"Aw, HEELLLLLLL NO!," I put down the hairdryer. "There's _no_ way I'm wearing _that_ thing!"

"Well too bad, you are!"

I gulped.

After drying my hair and all that good stuff, I put on the outfit that Feliks picked out for me. I sighed, at least Feliks left out the miniskirt. However, I wasn't too happy at the sight of some black high heels. Grrr… he _knew_ that I hated walking in heels. Perhaps they're the penalty for not wearing the miniskirt. (Ah, what the girls would do just to see me in a skirt…) But, the girls and Feliks are gonna kill me if I don't wear them, and the good thing is that were hidden by my long boot-cut black jeans.

Stepping out, I smoothed out the ripples in the grey silk kimono top I had on. I totally forgot that I even had it, and it actually looked a bit cute with the dark blue sash and floral pattern it had. Wow, Feliks…I totally underestimated you.

"So, do I look O.K.?," I asked my friends, feeling like the oddball in the group with all of them in their dresses and pretty outfits. For once, I wish that I could have a single iota of girly-ness in my nature. Oh, well…

"You look fine.," Liechtenstein shyly replied.

"Yeah, so are we ready, girls?," Belgium asked the lot of us.

"Just to ask, just _how_ are we getting into the city?," I asked.

"My brother is driving us.," Belgium explained, with a car screeching to a stop outside the campus gates. "Speaking of which, he's here early, that's new."

Hm, I didn't know that Belgium had a Belgium, did you? Some guy that had pale blonde hair that defied gravity stepped out of the car. He seemed to smoke, too… except the smoke didn't smell like normal tobacco smoke, if you know what a mean… I'll have to keep an eye on him for now, especially considering the fact that he looks significantly older than us, for a high school student, at least.

"Holland! (**A/N: **I'll be calling him Holland and Netherlands interchangeably.) What did I tell you about smoking when I'm with my friends?," Belgium whined, crossing her arms in disappointment. "And that cop from last time said that if he catches you like this again, he's revoking your license-"

"Yeah, yeah, it's Friday night… Spring Break: he'll understand.," Holland just shrugged at the comment, then put out his 'cigarette.' I was scared of what was actually in that thing, definitely _not _tobacco.

We all piled into the car, Belgium in the front and the rest of us in the back. After a good fifteen minutes of driving, we finally reached this huge shopping/entertainment district somewhere downtown. I remember being here afterschool at the beginning of the year, so I had a decent sense of direction around here.

"Thanks! We'll see you at 10!," Belgium waved goodbye to her brother as he drove away. Then turning to me, Seychelles, Liechtenstein, and Mei she said, "And just a word of warning to you girls, my older brother has this… _thing_ for younger girls, if you know what I mean. So watch out if things later tonight get a bit… weird-" (**A/N:** Holland apparently has a Lolita complex, meaning that he prefers… 'younger' girls.)

"What?," I yelled. "O.K., first he's smoking God-knows-what, now he may or may not-"

"Listen! I'm just the messenger here! Just saying! He's been known to get pretty weird…," Belgium tried to defend herself. "…especially when he's high-"

"So I was inhaling _drugs_?," I mouth was agape in shock. No wonder I was starting to feel a bit trippy back there…

"You didn't notice?," Elizaveta asked, a bit surprised. "Well, I guess the rest of us are used to it, always hanging out around Belgium here-"

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!," I rambled in a crescendo.

"Calm down, Jackie!," Seychelles said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"As long as you're with us, nothing can really go wrong, right?," Mei said, trying to help brighten my perception of the situation.

"Well, I guess you're right…," I sighed. "I don't want to rain on everyone's parade, so let's just have fun."

* * *

Like the immature little high school girls we are, we went around the shopping district, squealing at all of the displays. O.K., maybe with the exception of myself and Liechtenstein. The two of us were obviously way too pampered by our families to stoop to such a level. Plus, Vash is probably having a heart attack just knowing that his little sister's out in the big city with her rather… questionable friends.

For dinner, we went to this restaurant that Mei knew about. Being the stingy one of the group, I obviously didn't eat until my stomach was about to burst. Belgium was paying for everything, so I couldn't be rude in stuffing myself silly without even considering her sacrifice. I guess that this could make up having to inhale some illegal scents in her brother's car. Ugh, my parents would've killed me for having gone through with something like this: tobacco smoke was even better than whatever Netherlands was smoking.

The waiter came and went with the bill and the girls and I were on the move again.

"So, girls, where're we going?," I asked.

"Oh, it's a surprise!," Elizaveta excitedly exclaimed. The other girls seemed psyched out about it, too.

Oh God… I got a BAD. FUCKING. FEELING about this. Really, Elizaveta's interpretation of a pleasant surprise scares me enough already.

Lucky for Liechtenstein, her brother Vash came to pick her up before we made it over to Elizaveta's 'surprise.' There was no way that Vash would let her stay out past nine. Shyly waving goodbye, Liechtenstein looked a bit relieved to finally be back in her brother's care. I wouldn't blame her, being out here with someone like Elizaveta, I was feeling uneasy to say the least.

"Are you ready for the night of your life?," Elizaveta had led the remainder of us to this teen nightclub. I _knew_ that I had a _bad fucking_ feeling about this!

"Oh my gosh, Lizzy, you didn't-!," Belgium squealed.

"Oh yes I did!"

"But you need to know the right people to get in, we're just high school students-," Vietnam interjected.

"Ah, you guys obviously don't know me well enough.," Elizaveta chuckled. "But, whatever, let's go in!"

Deafening music blaring from gigantic speakers, illegal booze distribution (courtesy of Gilbert and Ludwig) and smoking: is this Elizaveta's idea of a night out?

"Um…," my head twisted around almost a full three hundred and sixty degrees in the neon-lit room. I was sooo going to lose my friends in this madness. "Liz? Belgium? Mei?" Looking around, my friends had already gone off to a familiar corner in the club. There's obviously another side to my friends that I don't know about-

"Hey! Fancy meeting _you_ here!"

Almost twisting my head off again, I spun around to find my friend Erin, "Oh, hi!"

She was looking cute and stunning, as always in some skirt and tank top. Just what was she doing here- and is that a bottle of beer in her hand?

"Nice seeing you, too!," I said. "Here with Alfred?"

"Of course, but we've been… taking some time off from each other for a while-," Erin explained.

"You two broke up?," my voice, a quick crescendo.

"No, no!," Erin replied, putting my fears to rest. "We're just trying to work things out, you know?"

"Oh, O.K.," I sighed. "God, give me a heart attack, why don't you?"

"Sorry…," Erin laughed. "It's just that… I think there's this other girl he's seeing."

"What?," I interrupted. "Who? And how did you find out?"

"O.K., so, Alfred and I were going to go out somewhere one Friday, right?," Erin explained the situation. "Then, at the _last minute_, he says that he wants to bail on me because of this other girl 'friend' of his!"

Aw, crap… so _that's_ why Alfred had to bail on me the other day… "And what happened next?," I eagerly asked.

"He kept on saying that it wasn't a date, but you can never be too sure with guys, you know?," Erin continued.

"Ah, I see.," I nodded my head politely. Technically, I shouldn't have any say in such a thing, never having had a boyfriend and all… "But, you know what? I'm sorry, Erin-"

"No! It's not your fault! You had nothing to do with this!"

"Sorry, but that's where you're wrong. _I_ am this girl 'friend' that Alfred wanted to hang out with.," I explained.

A prolonged silence followed after I made that statement before Erin replied, "Oh… my… gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't know that he meant _you!_" Her face was just filled with shock and bewilderment. "Honestly, if I knew that it was you, I wouldn't have freaked out like that! God, I feel like such an idiot!-"

"Erin! Erin!," I interjected. "It's alright! I can see why you would think that Alfred would do something like that. I mean, we both _know_ him, right?"

Her face still in her hands, she quietly muttered, "Yeah, I guess… but I feel so horrible that I thought that my friend would do something like that!-"

"Like I've said many times before, I don't like Alfred F. Jones in that sort of way. Plus, I don't blame you, I actually commend you on taking charge of your man!," I happily replied, patting her on the back, reassuring her of our clearly platonic relationship. (Even though on the inside, I felt like I was lying through my teeth.)

"Thanks, you have no idea of how relieved I am to know that he isn't cheating.," Erin sighed.

"Amen, if I was ever in such a relationship, I would feel the same thing-"

"Say, why don't I buy you a drink or something?-"

"No, no!," I insisted. "Why don't you go back to your man and become that happy couple again, for me?"

"U-Um, sure! I guess…," Erin's cheeks flushed a bright pink as I pushed her in Alfred's general direction, let her go, and flashed two thumbs up before running out the door.

* * *

God, I needed some fresh air! I honestly couldn't stand the music, the booze, the smoke-

"Hey."

Whoa! Now when did Netherlands get out here? "Oh, hi!," I greeted him, obviously trying to hide the fact that I was startled. "What're you doing out here?" Seriously, why was he out here? He could be smoking it up inside in some corner, but no, he had to be out here at the same exact time that I should also apparently run out.

"Same as you, I guess.," Netherlands replied. "I couldn't stand the crowds in there anymore-"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll get going-"

"No, you're alright. Sorry Belgium dragged you into this.," he said.

"It's no problem, I had a good time tonight, well, for the most part-"

"So are you going back in?," Holland interrupted.

"Nah, I'll just stay out here until the other girls want to go back.," I replied.

"Trust me, my sister and her friends will be out like this until midnight, at most. For all the trouble she's caused tonight, I'll drive you back to the campus-"

"Please, no! I don't mean to be a bother!," I said, obviously trying to heed to Belgium's warning earlier.

"No problem, I've got the car parked around the corner anyway, c'mon.," he was already walking back. Aw, crap, I can't refuse him now that he's actually going to start the car up.

"Alright, but thank you in advance.," boy, I pray that things aren't going to get weird on the way back…

Once I got in the car, I glanced at my watch. It was almost eleven o' clock already, crap. I hope the girls are going to get home alright…

"So… you're the transfer student this year, right?," Netherlands asked as he was driving, smoking God-knows-what again.

"Yeah…"

"Aren't you going to miss the World Academy?," what the hell is with all these questions?

"Of course, especially my friends and-"

"And who?," he asked again. "My sister won't stop talking about your turbulent love-life-"

"My _what_?," I yelled. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to yell!"

"It's alright, my sister makes me crazy, too. But, really, everyone, even in my homeroom, is gossiping about you and America-"

Are we seriously bringing up this topic again? "No… our relationship is completely platonic, so now you know, having heard it directly from me."

"Ah, because a friend of mine-"

"Watch out for that sign!," I pointed out the bus stop sign on the sidewalk that he almost ran over. Stepping out I thanked him again for the free ride, "Thanks again, and please tell the girls of where I am when you get back?"

"Sure, see you around.," he muttered, lighting a new 'cigarette' in his mouth, and drove away.

Still dizzy from what he was smoking, I stumbled back into my dorm, almost slamming my door.

"Ugh, remind me to never ride in that dude's car again…," I muttered to myself. Putting down my handbag and other stuff, I glanced at that post-it from earlier. Should I call this person now? At this hour? Nah… I needed sleep more, I can get my revenge later…

* * *

The other girls were obviously pissed at the fact that I ditched them that night. But, I really did need some sleep at that hour. In addition to that, they kept on talking about this fight that happened later that night. Aw, there was a fight? I would've stayed to see it if I wasn't too sleepy.

Well, putting that fact aside, for the first few days of Spring Break I mentally argued with myself on whether to or not to call this mystery person's number. At the back of my mind, my girly self prevailed saying, "What if it's a secret admirer's number?" I finally succumbed to my girly side on that Wednesday afternoon.

Plopping myself on my bed with that mystery number in hand, I hesitantly dialed it on my phone.

_Ring… ring…_

I swear, if this person doesn't pick up, I'm going to be pissed-

"Hello?," I heard from the other end of the line.

"Hello? Who is this?," I asked.

"Same here, now I don't have time to be messing with you-"

"Wait…," I interrupted, recognizing the voice. "Norway?"

"Yeah, and how did you get that idiot Denmark's number anyway?," he asked.

"What? This is _his_ number?," I stared at the number on the post-it in shock. "He wrote his number on my arm during that history test?"

"You didn't notice? Boy, I guess he was right about you being this oblivious-"

"O.K., before you insult me any further, where is he?," I asked.

"Your response further proves my previous statement about your oblivious nature.," Norway retorted. "In case you haven't heard, he and Sweden got into another fight last Friday. Weren't you there with a bunch of other girls? Hungary, Belgium-"

"Yeah, but I left early, so maybe I missed it-"

"You probably did, it was a lot later, like around midnight to one in the morning.," Norway further explained.

"Then how do you have his cellphone?"

"He left it with me on Friday, and I haven't seen him since. A lot of people haven't seen him or Sweden since then. But if you do see any of them, call me back. Finland is freaking out like crazy, and even Iceland is worried to say the least.," Norway continued.

"Of course, later.," I hung up on him as I began my epic quest to find the missing Nordics.

* * *

First, I took a bus into the city to their usual hang-out spots. Luckily, the streets weren't as crowded, so I guess that would make it easier to find a pair of six-foot tall nations. Unfortunately, I had no such luck with finding either. At around 4:30 in the afternoon, I gave up my search and dragged my sorry ass to the closest bus stop. My feet aching in my worn Converse sneakers, I happily sat down in a free seat. Taking out my phone, I called Norway again.

_Ring… ring… ri-_

"Hello?"

"Hey, Norway. Found either of them yet?," I asked, looking out the window as the bus started to pull away.

"Sweden showed up at our dorm about half an hour ago, but he doesn't know where that idiot is. He said that he stormed off after the fight and probably crashed at some friend's dorm.," Norway said.

"Well, one down, one more to go, right?," I replied. "I couldn't find any trace of Denmark either, so I'm heading back now."

"I wouldn't blame you, but I'm sure he'll turn up hung over somewhere sooner or later. Thanks for your help, anyway. Bye.," he abruptly hung up on me.

And hey, and here's my stop.

Getting off the bus, I put my hands in my jean pockets. Just where could Denmark be now? If no one has heard from him since Friday, there's obviously something wrong, which kind of scared me a bit. O.K., I may have been a bitch to him, (and him equally being a jerk to me) but he doesn't deserve to go missing and end up dead or anything. Well, he's a nation, so he probably can't die, but still…

Practically dragging myself up the dorm room staircase, I bumped into somebody along the way, "Hey! Watch where you're go-"

"…-ing…," I finished my sentence, in shock of who I had actually run into. "Where the _hell_ have you been and _what_ happened?"

Not only did Denmark look like a wreck, he was most likely going through the hangover of the century. I could see that his scuffle with Berwald obviously did a number on him. Ouch.

"Hey! Miss me?," he smiled, despite the fact that he was in terrible shape: dried blood encrusted in his hair, bruises, the works.

"I didn't necessarily _miss_ you, but I guess I was… _concerned_, yeah, that's the word I'm looking for!," I replied, chuckling nervously. "Now, I need to iodine the shit out of you before I bring you back to Norway's dorm-"

"Oh, speaking of Norge, how's he doing?," Denmark asked nonchantly.

"He, Iceland, and Finland have been worried sick about you, you ass!," I retorted, still dragging him back to my dorm. "Now get in here and wait while I break out the First Aid Kit."

"Sure, you got it, Nurse Jackie.," he mocked me, obviously making a reference to that damn show. (**A/N:** Sorry, I've never watched "Nurse Jackie.")

"Shut up."

* * *

"O.K., now welcome to my humble abode-," I said, opening my dorm's door.

"You know I've been here before. In fact, Norge and I managed to pick open your lock!-"

"Whatever, just shut up and sit down somewhere."

Once again, I owe my mom big for providing me with all of these medical supplies at my disposal. Taking out a First Aid Kit in my medicine cabinet, I took out some dampened gauze to take away some of that blood that was caked on the side of his head. Ew, just how was he able to keep on living like this? I retreated from my medicine cabinet to find him sitting on my bed- O.K., now don't go thinking about that the wrong way, got it?

Well, now in getting my point across, I came over with my trusty First Aid Kit with the dampened gauze in hand.

"O.K., this is going to sting just a little bit-," I explained as the gauze hovered above his skin.

"OW! What the hell did you put on that thing?," Denmark whined. "And how the hell can that hurt 'just a little bit' anyway?"

"Alright, I'll admit that iodine stings like a bitch, O.K.?," I retorted. "Now hold still and we can just get this done and over with."

I could obviously tell that he was hesitant to continue, but there was no way I'm going to let him walk out a bloody mess. After a good five minutes of him squirming around, he had managed to deal with the pain. Aw, really, I was impressed. I made sure he wouldn't see my tiny smile as I started to put away the iodine.

"Thank God you're putting that damn thing away.," Denmark sighed.

"Whoa, wait a minute.," I interrupted, getting out some bandages. "You're not done yet!"

"Listen, I bet Norge will understand, he's used to this-"

"Well _I'm _not! Now sit the fuck down, stop moving, and hold still!," I retorted, struggling to keep the bandages from falling out of my hands. After tucking away another band-aid on some bothersome scab, I proclaimed, "Finished!"

"It's about fuckin' time!," he said before his lips curved into a smirk. "How do I look?"

"Absolutely horrid.," I said sarcastically.

"Ouch, that's cold, you know?"

"Ugh, whatever, now get the fuck out of my dorm.," I got up and pointed toward the door.

"Aw, alright…," Denmark got up, and it looked as if he was ready to leave. "But, before I go…"

O.K., BAD. FUCKING. FEELING. …AGAIN.

"_What_ do you want?," I groaned, only to eventually be swept up into the taller nation's arms.

"Shouldn't I repay you for your… 'services-?"

"Fuck. No."

"God, why can't you just, I don't know… loosen up a bit, you know?"

"No! I don't have time for this!," struggling in his grip.

"What? Afraid you'll actually like me?," he smirked.

"Wha-? No! That's preposterous!," I retorted, still trapped. "Fuck!"

"Oh, now?"

"NO! What the hell are you thinking? Let me go!"

"As a person of medical expertise, you wouldn't want your patient to just run out, don't you?," Denmark insisted.

"Sure, why not, but what does this have to do with anything?"

"Don't you want to give me one last 'physical examination' before I go-?"

This SOOO isn't going to end well... for me, that is.

_To be continued_


	17. Chapter 16

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 16:**

"No! I shouldn't be doing this!," I continued to struggle.

"Why? Give me five damn good reasons to let you go.," he smirked.

Seriously, eff my life right now. Not only were we close… and I mean _close_, I mean, with our chests touching and our faces a breath away from each other and everything. I was also starting to get those butterflies in my stomach, …only about a thousand times worse than before. Not only that, I was shaking, too. Despite my expertise in the martial arts, it was simple physics that my struggles against the taller nation were all for naught unless I can get my act to together and stop resisting.

"Please, what do you want from me?," I asked, almost in a begging tone. Darn, I sooo did not want to play the 'uke' in this scenario. (a certain… 'term' that I learned from Kiku)

For once, Denmark kept his mouth shut, but all I could hear now was the slow and uneven rising and falling of my breathing… God, the suspense was killing me! With the one hand he had at my waist, he made sure that it was hooked on pretty well. Then with the other hand, it crept up my back as it firmly held my head, allowing the taller nation to literally crash into me. With my hair strung out on my own bed and his lips right on top of mine, I did my best to keep my mouth shut. After that little affair I had a while ago, I was a bit more experienced with this whole kissing thing at the very least. By denying him entrance, it only made the situation worse.

Well, let's just say that he doesn't call himself a 'king' for nothing…

As expected, he was rough and relentless, pfft, typical… I was still determined to escape, so I decided to try and trick him, being the little deceptive bitch I am, I bit down hard on his tongue as he tried to make a move on me. Ha! How 'bout that? After retreating, he broke off the painfully forceful kiss saying, "What the hell was that for?"

"I should be asking you the same! What's wrong with you?," I retorted.

Denmark looked away, although I could perfectly see the approaching blush on his cheeks.

"NO…NO way…," I gasped. "Denmark… Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

With earnest eyes, I looked back at the taller nation. "Hmph…you know I'm not normally like this-," he chuckled.

"Of course not, where's the in-your-face persona now? Don't tell me that you're _scared_ of me or anything-"

"I'm not afraid of you, of course.," Denmark replied. "I was just afraid of what you might say if I told you… with Alfred in the picture and-"

"Denmark, there is almost absolutely nothing more than friendship between Alfred and I, I thought that I had already made that a clear fact.," I said. "You know… if it means anything, if I said that I don't have some sort of feelings for you… I would be making myself a liar."

"Really?," his blue eyes immediately lit up. Gosh, this whole confessing to a guy that you sort of like him thing is a lot more difficult than people make it look like. The second kiss was surprisingly a lot less aggressive, perhaps even sweet, if it had not been for an intruder at my door.

"Danmark…," Norway stood in my doorway, not amused, called for the nation in his native tongue. "What are you doing?"

"Wait, Norge! I can explain!," he protested. Yeah, way to totally leave _me_ out of the conversation. As they continued to talk back and forth in their Scandinavian languages, the weight of the taller man was finally off of me. Great! Now I can actually breathe!

"Sure, now apologize to the poor girl for having to clean you up, drunken ass-"

"Hey! It was Sweden that started it and you know it!," he continued to argue with Norway as they both walked out of my dorm, slamming the door behind them.

A prolonged silence was sustained in the air for the first few minutes after they left. Looking down at my hands, they were still trembling, hey, can't blame a girl for doing so if a guy has totally invaded your personal space. Did another unsuspecting guy apparently like me? Nooo… But speaking of Denmark, just what started that fight anyway? I made it my mission to find out.

* * *

Spring Break came and went, just like that. Nothing happened much, seeing how I refused to just sit back and let the rest of the school year pass by, I took it upon myself to question the other Nordics on that fight before Break. First victim- I mean, interviewer: Tino.

"Why, hi!," Tino greeted me as I approached him after class. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Same here.," I casually replied, crossing my arms, hoping not to look too obvious that I was going to ask him something important. "Say, remember how Berwald and Denmark got into that fight?" Yeah… real smooth, I thought, mentally facepalming at my bluntness.

"Oh…," Finland replied with a bit of hesitation. "Su-san and Denmark don't normally get along well, you know-"

"I know, I know…," I interrupted. "…But, O.K., really… there must've been something that either of them said to provoke the other?"

"Well…you see…," Finland continued to sound hesitant to answer, and Berwald coming up behind him wasn't making the situation any better.

(**A/N:** I'm trying to type like how Sweden actually 'talks,' inspired by a Sweden roleplayer friend of mine. Feel free to critique on how I'm doing, I hope I'm not overdoing it.) "T'n'?," Berwald greeted Tino.

"Ah, hi Su-san!," Tino replied. "You remember Jacqueline, right?"

"Y's. N'w wh't w'r' y'' 'sk'ng 'b''t D'nm'rk? (Now what were you asking about Denmark?)"

Crap. "Oh, um, it's nothing really-," I tried to change the subject.

"Wh't'v'r h' s''d 's ' l'' (Whatever he said is a lie.).," he replied.

"Uh…," I was shocked, was he eavesdropping on Tino and I?

"Sorry Jacqueline, but I think I might have to agree with Su-san.," Tino said. "Denmark's been known for rambling on when he's drunk, and I'm sorry that you had to hear it."

"P'rh'ps 't's b'st n't t' t'lk t' 's 'b''t 't (Perhaps it's best not to talk to us about it.).," Berwald replied before walking off with Tino.

Hm… perhaps Berwald is right. Denmark and those two definitely still held some hostilities between each other. Maybe Iceland or Norway would be some better candidates for interrogation- I mean… questioning… or something along those lines.

Well, my plan would've worked… only if Norway and Iceland would _talk_.

"So, um… you remember how Denmark said that it was Sweden started it all? Not that I want to insult either of them, but I have a right to my doubts, don't I?," I asked the two Scandinavian nations.

"Ugh, well, I feel bad in letting that idiot let you get involved, just disregard everything he says.," Norway replied.

"Um, you sure? He couldn't have just fabricated that story out of nowhere, right?," I continued to question them.

"You should know already that he's a terrible liar when he's drunk, I'm surprised that he came to _you_ after that brawl on Friday.," Iceland added.

While they were talking, I had taken a glance at my watch. Crap, I'll be late for orchestra and drama rehearsal! Still a bit guilty about not fulfilling my little 'mission,' I reluctantly bid them farewell, "Well, I guess you're right. Thanks for the advice." O.K., now, I really didn't' mean that. Being the skeptic individual I am, I decided to pursue my 'investigation' later. For now, only music had to be on my mind.

* * *

A few days later, I could practically feel the pressure getting to me. Roderich, our maestro, was just absolutely relentless during orchestra practice. Normally, I would agree with his nitpicky-ness with the music, but now he was just being ridiculous.

"_Nein!_," Roderich yelled at us again, his conductor baton-thing clattering loudly on the music stand. "Again! From the top!"

My fingers were beginning to feel swollen, never had I played so intensely before. Sighing, I reached for my violin bow, wrists trembling already, and started again. However, it wasn't too long afterwards for us to stop in the smack middle of a song again. I sighed, tucking another stray lock of hair behind my ear. Why, God? Seriously, I knew that the musical was in a few short weeks, but… who knew that Roderich could be such a perfectionist sometimes? I swear, if I hear him yelling at the brass section one more time to make their notes clearer, I'm going to kick something. The brass section sounded fine to me, and that's saying something since we've been playing for a little over an hour. About fifteen minutes later, we were finally dismissed. Unfortunately for me, I had my drama understudy practice right after rehearsal. Even Heracles and Sadiq were cracking down hard on this whole musical thing.

Everyone had stormed out of the theater, not wanting to hear Roderich's harsh criticisms anymore, leaving the stage to myself. It was quiet until the other understudies trickled in, obviously we were all frantically trying to remember our parts. However in reality, we understudies were basically the back-up people in theater. God forbid anything should happen to the real cast, we would fill in for them. So perhaps we shouldn't worry…as much.

"Alright!," the drama director yelled after we had finally finished with the First Act. "Places, everyone! Let's try for a full run-through of the Second Act, O.K.?"

I hated doing the Second Act, I would always run out of breath or something not even halfway through the whole thing, and my lungs would ache for hours after that. Well, I guess that's what I get for giving up voice lessons and not practicing for so long.

Towards the end, all of the other parts had gone home, since they had no further appearances in the play. I could see how it was pretty useless to keep them around unless they wanted to watch the handful of us that stayed. Hopefully, I could go home soon now that we were at the last scene.

"_The tears I might have shed for your dark fate_," I began after briefly trying to regain my breath. "_grow cold and turn to tears of hate-_"

"Cut!," the director yelled.

I sighed once again.

"Dear, I know it's late, but could you at least put some emphasis of some sort in that line? It's such a… powerful declaration for your character, you know? This is _it_, the climax, your big moment, now make it work!," the director rambled on.

"Y…Yes, of course.," I weakly replied. I wasn't getting much sleep as of lately thanks to the pressure of final exams and the upcoming musical. In fact, I haven't even thought much about understudy practice lately!

"Alright.," the director sighed, I could tell that everybody was frustrated. But, we were all actors and actresses here, and during rehearsal, we're practically slaves to our art.

Practice would drag on for another half hour before I could finally walk backstage to get my things. Even us understudies got a decent dressing room. Yay, now don't I feel special? Turning the worn doorknob to my little abode backstage, I heard a rather familiar voice that I haven't heard in a while, "…Hey…" I turned and replied, "Well, I haven't seen _you_ in a while, how've you been?" After finally jamming the rusty old door open, Heracles followed on in.

"…Fine. …You haven't been like yourself in rehearsal lately…," he said.

"Hm?," I asked, still getting my books and papers together. "What do you mean?"

"…You haven't… been getting much sleep, either… I can tell.," O.K., now of course Heracles would know that.

I gulped. How did he know? Between practicing, studying, and homework…yeah, who needed sleep? "Well, you got me.," I admitted to skipping a couple hours (maybe days) worth of sleep. "But, what can I say? There's finals, the musical-"

"Just promise me…that you won't work too hard…it's terrible to see you try your best…and know that there are people that don't care…"

"What? Do _I_ look like a workaholic to you?," I chuckled. "Seriously though, I'll be fine, but thanks for caring, I guess."

"…You guess?," Heracles asked.

"Y-Yeah-," I stuttered.

"I see…so it would…suit you better if I left you alone…?-"

"No! I didn't mean it that way!," I frantically replied. From the small smile, I could tell that he was messing with me. "God, no, I…well…I appreciate your company and all-"

"You take everything way too seriously.," he placed a hand on my shoulder. "…So just take it easy for a while…and get some sleep…"

Ah, when it comes to taking it easy…it's easier said than done for a natural-born worrier like me. We both parted at my dressing room door, me heading to the dorms and well…I don't know where the heck Heracles goes after class… After a short and sort-of forced sounding good-bye, I walked out of the theater only to bump into Sadiq.

"Hey! Watch where you're going-!," I first said before looking up at the taller nation. "Oh, hey! I didn't know that you were still around-"

"Well, neither did I.," he replied. "You and the idiot were backstage for a while, what were you doing?"

"Nothing, it's none of your business, either.," I retorted, trying to make my way around the taller guy.

"Certainly doesn't sound like nothing.," Sadiq crossed his arms. "I've known that idiot long enough to know that he's known for…you know…"

"What? Just what exactly are you trying to say?," I further questioned him.

"Now how can I put this?... Well he's known for 'sleeping around' if you know what I mean-"

_WHAT?_ Had I known that before that afternoon, I wouldn't have been so- GOD, I feel like an idiot! "Of course I do, I'm not that big of a kid you think I am.," I replied as-a-matter-of-factly, then walked straight past him.

"So, wait: you're not mad? At all?," Sadiq turned around, quite shocked at my reaction.

"Hmph, whatever. It's not like we're any more than just classmates, right?," I replied, not even turning my head to face him. A little voice in the back of my head said that I knew that I'm lying through my teeth with that statement. I didn't know whether to believe my word or my little metaphorical voice in the back of my head.

* * *

Over the next week, I felt aggressive towards everything lately: schoolwork, drama rehearsals, and especially music. In fact, the orchestra was starting to get its act together and I think Roderich is as equally satisfied as I am, too. In the midst of the chaos I could see a tiny smile as he conducted all of us. The brass section clearly rang out and the percussionists kept time practically perfectly.

"We've made such a huge improvement since a few days ago, and I'm impressed by all of you.," Roderich said at the end of rehearsal.

Everyone gave each other high fives and 'good jobs,' too. For once in a long while, we were quite content with our playing and ourselves.

However, the smiles would fade after we filed out of the orchestra pit. People were frantically cramming for exams, trying to fix some malfunction with their instruments, and Roderich especially looked pretty uneasy. Music was the common bond between we orchestra members, and although it has ceased for now, I knew that we would eventually feel that same sense of contentment during tomorrow's rehearsal.

My friends were doing pretty fine for themselves too, although they were mostly occupied with the upcoming Sophomore Dance. Sigh, typical teenagers- hey wait, I'm one too!

"So…has Alfred planned anything for you yet, Erin?," I lightly nudged my friend in the ribs.

"No, you know that he's not exactly the most romantic type of guy, but he'll find some way to surprise me.," Erin replied as we sat across from each other during lunch.

"O.K., girls! We, like, totally need to go shopping, like, next weekend for our outfits!," Feliks proclaimed at our table. Poor Toris was tagging along behind him, as usual.

"Good idea! That way, we won't have to worry about them when we have to take our finals!," Elizaveta agreed. "So what do you guys say?"

"Sure, why not?," Natalia spoke up for once.

"Yeah, but there's still one more thing t hat we need to take care of…," Belgium said.

"What's that?," Liechtenstein timidly asked.

"I've got one word for you:…," Mei said, adding in a dramatic pause. "…DATES."

Of course Mei would bring up something like that, but I knew for a fact that Kiku and her were SOOOOO happening at the dance, hands down. Now with Lizzie…hm…maybe Roderich or Gilbert will finally have the guts to ask her, only time will tell…

"Mei, dates? Really? Was that really necessary?," Vietnam shook her head at the younger Asian nation.

"What's a dance without dates?," Mei argued.

"I don't know, a date-less dance?," I retorted. "Dates aren't needed to make a dance fun, anyway."

"Well, of course _you_ would say that.," Seychelles added. "Miss 'I can be single and still be happy.'"

"But I can!," I crossed my arms, pouting.

We argued over the whole date thing for another five minutes before dropping the subject. Now with that out of the way, I have to concoct a plan in what I do best: making the love lives of my best friends better than my own! Alfred was SOOO not giving her hamburgers instead of flowers at the dance, so I'll have to keep him on his toes in prepping him for giving Erin _the_ night of her sophomore year. As for everyone else, Lizzie's date was still a mystery between Roderich or Gilbert. MeiXKiku was SOOO happening, Natalia is probably going to eventually pry her brother out of the arms of some other girl, Vietnam…well…she'll be there, I know that, and Belgium, I was hoping to pair her and Antonio or Lovino up together(depending on further developments…).

* * *

UGH. I. HATE. STUDYING. Don't you? Yet another week (or maybe it was only a few days, I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE) passed and I was stuck cramming for my final Trigonometry test. Plus, some terrible humid air pressure system or whatever is passing through the area, making it just absolutely torturous to focus. Also, with the humidity, some stupid rain was supposed to be rolling on into the area.

"It's already too hot… and too late into the year to be doing this crap.," I whined, flipping back to my reference table for the fiftieth time this hour. Now I really wished that I had organized some sort of study party with the girls or maybe even the Baltics. (Say, how are they doing?) Perhaps I wouldn't feel so alone- NO! Screw that! "Hmph! I'll get through this cram section by myself, I'll be fine, I-"

A large thud sounded from outside in the hallway. At first I thought that it was just something that fell, but I was soooo wrong. It was something, it was some_one_. Upon further snooping around (listening via wall and door), I heard something resembling drunken ramblings. Who in the right mind would bring alcohol into school! Hm… well for some of the countries, alcohol consumption is part of their daily basis, so I had to think hard about this. Who could it be?

Fearing for my own safety, I tried to call my friends, who were all unfortunately out shopping. Luckily, I had managed to slip away when they came looking for me to drag along. Now I wish that I had gone. Knowing that all of the girls were out, I called the Baltics instead.

"Hello?," I said in a voice slightly louder than a whisper.

"Um, hi? Who's this?," Raivis answered Toris' phone.

"Raivis? Is that you?," I asked. "Say, …there's someone at my door-"

"W-W-What? Are y-you alright?," Raivis whimpered. "Toris!"

"Hello? Raivis told me about what happened, do you even know who it is?," Toris answered after Raivis passed the phone on to him.

"I really don't know…but who in the right mind would wander around intoxicated for anyway?," I asked.

"Ah, some of the students here are a bit crazy, aren't they?," Toris laughed nervously. "But, just be very careful if they're not leaving. If you want, I can go run and get help."

"…You know what? I'll handle it.," I replied.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yep!," and with that, we hung up.

Slowly prying open my door, I saw some mass of a human being slumped against the wall.

"Hey, are you O.K.?," I whispered. He didn't answer. How did I know that it's a guy? Only guys can possess such blonde hair of spiky caliber. "Yo, get up!" I approached the clearly wasted individual and shoved them slightly. He tumbled over the other way and my heart literally jumped. Obviously I wasn't ready to have some certain drunk Danish nation turn up at my dorm. I really had a knack for finding my friends at my door. "Ugh…," I groaned, realizing that at this rate, I'll have to carry him into my room.

He practically collapsed onto my couch. Who knew that this guy could be so heavy? "Now _what_ am I going to do with you?," I sighed. Pulling a chair over to the end of the couch where his head lay. In order to help hinder the chance of a really bad hangover when he wakes, massaging the side of his temples should do something. "Look, even in this unbearable humidity I can be compassionate.," I chuckled to myself.

"Really? That's new.," a smirk appeared on his face.

I slammed my palms simultaneously on the sides of his head. "OW! What was that for?"

"For turning up drunk at my door!," I retorted. "I do realize that you may like me, but you can't go wandering around the dorms intoxicated!"

"Wha? Drunk? Nah…maybe it was only a drink or two about an hour ago, but I'm so far from being wasted.," he replied nonchalantly. How was he so calm about this?

"Only a drink or two? Gosh…," I replied.

"Geez, what's with you today?"

"What do you mean? I haven't seen you in weeks!," I retorted. "Well, now that you're feeling better-"

"Ugh, I may not be drunk, but I'm far from being 'better.,'" Denmark said, looking distressed. Boy, that's new.

"Mm-hm, I mean, I appreciate your company-"

"Oh, you so _don't_, you can't wait to get rid of me, huh?," he shook his head.

"No, really, I do, but I've got studying, you've got studying-"

Why does he keep interrupting me?, "Studying? Pfft...what's that?"

"O.K., but really, you have to go now.," I said, pointing to the door.

"_You'll_ be leaving soon, won't you?...," he quietly muttered, probably to himself?

"Excuse me?"

"Ugh, don't act stupid, it's June. You're going to be flying back to your hellhole of a life, leaving me-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, who said anything about leaving?," I sat down next to him. "It's not like I'm abandoning you or anything-!"

"Then what is it?," he turned to me with a serious face. "We're never seeing each other ever again, how about that?-"

"Wha? I mean, maybe not ever again, but…," I tried to reason with him.

"See? ," he continued. I leaned my head against his shoulders, "Perhaps you're right…fuck…" Well, this was certainly another side of this normally optimistic nation that I'm seeing. I had to admit that he's acting a bit clingy with this whole abandonment thing.

"Say…if we do never see each other again, would you still remember me?," Denmark asked.

After taking a moment, I replied, "Hm…depends…"

"Aw, are you serious?," he whined. "What's there not to remember about me?: My looks, my charisma-"

"Your fondness of alcohol.," I retorted, making a motion with my hand, mocking his drinking problems.

"Or maybe you'll remember this:…," he continued.

O.K., knowing my luck with ominous statement like that, I said reluctantly, "O.K., now just shut up and kiss me already."

_To be continued…_


	18. Chapter 17

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 17:**

The week following that AWKWARD encounter, I found myself mentally screaming, OHMIGOD, OHMIGOD, OHMIGOD, I'M SO DEAD! How could have I forgotten my English Literature test today? Aw, crap, this is SOOOO not good! I can't afford for my test grades to slip in the last semester of the year! In fact, this is the _only_ test we've had this semester! Pacing back and forth in front of the classroom with my notes in hand, I was waiting for the bell to ring. My fingers were practically trembling as I frantically went back and forth in the pages just covered in my penmanship. Oh, WHY did I have to take so many notes?

We were reading the play Antigone by Sophocles for a while, and the play was basically a gigantic (and tragic) argument in Ancient Greece. Hey, speaking of Greece, WHY DIDN'T I ASK HIM FOR HELP?-

Oh, wait, how could've I forgotten? I'm pretty much ignoring him for the time being. Why, you ask? Well at least according to Sadiq, why should I bother with someone known for 'sleeping around' (**A/N:** FYI, it's a bad thing… 'Sleeping around,' I believe, is a term used for some pretty fickle people when it comes to commitments or relationships…) Ugh…

The next time I had my English Literature class, the teacher had already graded everyone's exams. I was nervous beyond belief. What if I failed? Will my grade drop? If so, then by how much?

"Well, you all did fairly well on this…," he scanned through the papers. Hmph, 'fairly' meant that at least 65% of the class had passed. NOT a good sign. The teacher finally came to my desk and put my exam, faced down. I had noticed that everyone got their papers back like that, but I prayed for some sort of miracle to happen that would ensure a grade in the 90s. Sliding a finger underneath the paper, I lifted it up at a small angle, only to have my heart sink into the deepest depths of my chest.

Honestly, it had to be a mistake, right? But instead of arguing with this teacher, I shoved the paper in between a couple of pages of old notes, and left the English Literature classroom at an inhuman speed.

* * *

"Hey, are you O.K.?," Erin came by and sat next to me during lunch. "You look sad, did something happen?"

I continued to look down into my thermos filled with some good ol' Chef Boyardee, but not even microwaveable food can lift my spirits.

"Eh, it's nothing, you?," I asked, still swishing the pasta in the excessive amount of tomato sauce in the thermos.

"Oh, don't let the end of the year jitters get to you!," Erin said with a smile. "School will be done in a little under a month, and you know what that means, right?"

Ugh, that means I'll have to leave! I didn't bother answering except with a look of remorse.

"Wait, oh my gosh! I'm sorry! I totally forgot…," Erin apologized. "It also means that you won't be staying for much longer, right?"

Without saying a word, I gave her a small nod. I could tell that Erin's eyes were also filled with almost as much remorse as mine did. "At least I can say that I had the honor of meeting you and being your friend, right?-," I tried to cheer her up, but it only resulted in Erin nearly crushing me in a near-lethal hug (not nearly as bad as Feliciano's or Alfred's). "I…think…it's…a bit…early to…say goodbyes, Erin!," I had managed to say, trying to laugh, but I knew that there was very little that I could do or say to better the situation.

* * *

After class, I made my way over to orchestra rehearsal, where the usual rigorous torture of Roderich's criticisms began once again. I mean, as much respect as I had for our maestro, I had to just drain out his voice for a while. Replacing Roderich's constant "Nein!"s and "Once again from the top!"s, I listened to the voices of the actors and actresses practicing on the stage above us. They had gone on rehearsing some other troublesome parts of the musical as Roderich continued to be nitpicky about nearly everything. While I continued to zone out, there was this one voice from above in particular that caught my attention, the voice of a certain nondescript nation.

I sighed, seriously, could I really take Sadiq's word seriously, considering the obvious animosity between him and Heracles? Of course I'm going to be upset if it turns out that a certain cat-loving nation has been playing me for a fool, but should that happen I'll make his life a living hell until I leave. During rehearsal I'll have to keep prodding him about it if I want answers.

And so, I went along with my little plan during drama understudy practice. The drama teachers were busy fussing over some costume mishap backstage, leaving Heracles and I alone sitting in the audience. I was in the very front while he was a couple of rows behind me. Despite having mentally sworn off of affiliating myself with this guy, I couldn't help but still feel my heart pounding.

'Damn it, stop!,' I mentally screamed at my heart (yeah, screaming at my internal organs makes SOOO much sense). 'You don't like him, now get your act together!'

Taking a deep breath, I slowly ran my fingers through my hair, obviously trying to catch his attention. But unfortunately, he decided to take his mid-rehearsal nap now.

"Crrrraaaaaaap…," I cursed in a low growl. O.K., I'll let him go for now, but after rehearsal, I mean business!

* * *

"Alright, everybody!," the director called us all into a circle before dismissing us. "Well, even though so few of you might actually perform this week, I hope you enjoy the show as much as I've enjoyed working with actors and actresses such as yourselves."

I still felt terrible in the fact that although we've practiced so much harder than the real cast in so much less time than they had, the chances of us actually going onstage for real were slim. At this point, in the depths of my heart, I had some dark intention that the actress playing my part would get sick or have a panic attack at the last moment. Ha! Once again, the chances of this even happening were like, a million to one.

"Now on the other hand, we might need a couple of stagehands here and there, but you'll get to come in and see it for free."

Well, at least I'm going to practically be onstage…or more like under it…

"But before you all go, give yourselves a round of applause for your hard work!," a thunderous applause by we understudies followed, and damn do we deserve it.

As I was heading for the exit backstage, I couldn't help but feel like someone was following me. Honestly, there can't be that many creepers in this school, right? Shaking off the thought, I resumed my speed-walking towards the dorms.

"Hey…wait!," I _knew _it!

Turning around, I retorted, "O.K. what do you want from me?- Wha?-" I shut myself up upon being cornered by a certain cat-loving nation that's waaay taller than me. "…Hi?" Trying to keep my composure, the pounding in my chest was reaching its optimum speed that I felt like I was about to faint. This doesn't mean _anything_, …right?

"…Hi…you look nervous…," Heracles said.

"Y-Yeah, about the musical. Remember that I'm still in the orchestra!," I replied.

"…Of course… But I can't help but… feel like you're avoiding me…," he said with a sad look in his eyes. O.K., is it just me or is it always the quiet ones that are, like, psychic? Jeez...

"Hm? What're you talking about? I'm just… busy…," I lied. After a prolonged silence, I came out and plainly said, "O.K., maybe I am, but what's it to you?-"

"…Just how does this not apply to me…at all?," Heracles further questioned me.

"Do I not matter to you? …At all?," I crossed my arms, retorting back at him.

"…What…do you mean?," he looked confused.

"Pfft, as if you don't know. Sadiq told me-"

"Don't listen to that jerk…!," he interjected. Wow, this is the first time that I've ever seen him angry…or even yell for that matter.

"Why shouldn't I?," I asked. "Is there something that you're not telling me? It's alright, I can take the fact that I'm just an insignificant little pest compared to other girls that you've probably been with-"

"…Don't say that…," placing his hands on my shoulders, he stooped down to my eye-level. I noticed that his hands looked bruised, like he was in a fight. Now why would a quiet nation like him get into a fight?- Oh yeah… totally forgot that he and Sadiq make it rather clear that they hate each other's guts.

"Looks like you've gotten into quite a scuffle as of lately…," I said, as-a-matter-of-factly. "With Sadiq, I suppose?"

"…I couldn't let him say such things…"

"What things? What happened?," I demanded.

"…He said…that you don't want anything to do with me…anymore…," Heracles replied.

Gulping, I said, "Well, I have to admit that that is somewhat true-"

"How…can it only be 'somewhat true?'"

"When he had told me that you were known for 'sleeping around,' I didn't know what I was thinking or saying… You know what? Forget everything he said, it was stupid of me for assuming everything before I could hear both sides of your argument.," I apologized. "I'm sorry… if that means anything now after what I've done."

I closed my eyes and let my head hang in shame. It didn't even matter to me anymore if he still had feelings for me. Just with the way I've been ignoring him lately, I felt that I didn't deserve such feelings in return.

"…It's alright…," his angry expression melted away into… a smile? What?

"Hm?," my eyes shot wide open as I picked up my head. "Really?"

"…Yeah…I can't stay mad… at you… for long.," before leaving tousled my hair. I couldn't help but feel relieved that things between us were better now, but the inner-nerd in me ruined the moment as my thoughts drifted back to that damn English Literature test grade I got…

* * *

"O.K., I'm going to go in there and tell him, "Hey, Mister! You've totally graded my test wrong!-" No… maybe I should be more polite?," I paced back and forth in front of the English Literature classroom that next day.

"Heey! Jack! Whaaat's up?," a booming, energetic voice came my way. Boy, it's been a while since I've heard from Alfred.

"Oh! Um, hi!," I awkwardly replied.

"Still socially awkward as usual, am I right?," Alfred cheerfully pat me in the back.

"Yeah, sure, whatever…," I retorted, still holding the damn test paper to my chest, not wanting him to see the disgraceful grade. To think that your Geometry teacher got such a grade is just laughable!

"Say, what're you doing here? And what's that paper?," Alfred kept on asking me these darn questions.

"I just happened to have gotten out of my last class early, and it's none of your damn business!," I said, obviously getting angry at him intruding my own affairs.

"Hm…," he snatched the paper away from me in a split second that I barely even saw it.

"Hey! Give that back!"

"Wha?~ The teacher was so totally screwing you over while grading this! As the HERO I'll go in there and straighten this out for you-!," Alfred took a look at my paper, ready to slam open the English Literature classroom door.

"No, please! That's really not necessary-," I continued to protest while trying to get my paper back. However, my efforts were of no use. The moment that bell rang, Alfred ran right on in as the class inside ran out. It was amusing… to say the least. Did everyone really hate English Literature that much or was it just because it was the last class of the day?

For a couple of minutes, I stood by that closed door and listened as Alfred kept on yelling at the teacher. They came out together after a while.

"You don't have to thank me.," Alfred smiled and gave me a thumbs-up before sticking his hands in his pocket and walked away nonchalantly.

"Wha-? What do you mean?," I retorted back, only to be cut off by my teacher.

"My God, I'm so sorry, I've mixed up your grades with another student's! There were two versions of the test and I was looking at the wrong answer key! Such a silly mistake…," the teacher handed me back my test, with a grade MUCH better to my liking.

"Oh, no, it's fine! Even the best of us can make mistakes sometimes, and thanks for your time."

"No problem, but don't you have a class now or something? I'm sorry if I've kept you up-," the teacher continued.

"Nah, my classes finished a period ago, and if there's anyone holding me up, that would have to be Alfred-"

"Hey, you should thank that young man the next time you see him!," the teacher smiled, waving their finger in my face. "You've got to give him credit for coming up to me, and not yourself."

"Ha, I guess you're right.," I agreed, Alfred stuck up for me while I kind of chickened out. Maybe a burger or two (or five) will be perfect compensation.

* * *

Following Alfred's chivalrous act, it was now the premiere of the school musical. CRAAAAAAP… No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, I always get super nervous for these kind of things. Not only was the musical on a Friday night that I should be spending with my friends, we still had classes on that day! Well, all of my work won't all for naught since my friends were so nice enough to go see the musical, in fact, all of them had bought tickets. My friends back home wouldn't have done the same thing, but I can't blame them: all of us live so far away, how can I expect them to drop by Manhattan every time I have a concert?

Despite my moral support in the audience, I made Toris, Eduard, and Raivis stick with me until it got too crowded backstage. Hey, I need moral support everywhere I go, that's just how insecure I am.

"Hey guys, you haven't seen Roderich around, have you?," Elizaveta came running up to us in the far reaches of the orchestra pit.

"No, why?," Toris asked.

"What're you doing back here? You should be out in the audience.," Elizaveta replied. "But, whatever, the musical is starting in fifteen minutes and we can't find our maestro!"

"Roderich? Really?," I jumped out of my seat. "O.K., Raivis, can you hold my violin for me?"

"W-W-W-hat?," Raivis quivered, holding my wooden instrument. "B-B-But I might d-drop it!-"

"Nonsense! Plus I could use a new instrument after this. Toris, you get back in the audience with your date Natalia-," I commanded.

"Um, of course.," honestly, they've been together since I've set them up at the beginning of the year and he still blushes every time I mention her. Ah, oh well…

"And Eduard!," I turned my attention to the last Baltic.

"Yes?," he just stared at me like I had grown another head.

"Stay here with Raivis and call me when the time it starts gets close, 'kay?," I replied.

"Sure, just have your cellphone on this time.," he flipped out his own phone. "It's 5:00 P.M., it's starting exactly 30 minutes from now."

"Great, and I'm off!," I darted out of the orchestra pit and out of the theater before poor Elizaveta could catch up with me. Whoops.

* * *

Looking everywhere, I couldn't find any sign of Roderich. Crap, we'll sound terrible without him there to conduct us! I just knew that there was something wrong, judging from the last few rehearsals. He seemed off his game, and that's saying a lot for a nation that has probably been studying music since the time he could walk (or God knows when).

"Roderich!," I gave another yell down an empty hallway. No wonder it was so quiet, I mean, it was a Friday night. But seriously, with the school practically a ghost town, how dang hard could it be to find a musician? He must be playing somewhere, or something! Since it's so quiet, I would've heard it!

My heels skidded to a stop at the sound of someone playing some Chopin…and making mistakes.

The music was coming from another old empty music classroom (with a piano, of course), and there was Roderich, practically slaving over the lone piano. His playing was so off, I've never heard him play like that.

"Hey Maestro! The show's about to start! Get your butt over to the theater!-," I slammed open the doors.

Weakly sitting up he replied, "I'm not going-"

"What do you mean you're not going?," I stomped over to the piano bench. "Elizaveta was running around worried sick about you that she had to ask me to help find your sorry ass, so now let's go!-"

"Liz was actually looking for me?... Worried?... Sick?...," Roderich picking up his head suddenly.

"Yeah, yeah- now wait… I see what's going on!," I smirked. "Don't tell me that you've been a wreck just 'cause you're having some girl problems!"

"No! It's that jerk Gilbert-," Roderich protested.

"O.K., now what did Prussia do this time?"

"It's something about last year, you wouldn't understand.," Roderich slumped back again on the piano.

"Oh, give me a break!," I sighed. "What's done is done, and even though I don't understand much, but if you love Lizzy that much, you're coming with me to _go_ out there and conduct like you've never conducted before, dammit!"

An awkward silence followed my little speech. "Now are you coming or not?-"

"Yes, now stop yelling and get back to the rest of the orchestra!," Roderich commanded. "Tell Elizaveta that I'll be there."

"Yessir!," I replied, running back to the theater while texting Eduard that I'll be back in a few minutes. Boy was this going to be a long night…

* * *

"Where were you?," Seychelles called to me from the flute section as everyone was scrambling to their seats.

"Finding our maestro.," I replied, taking my violin back from Raivis and sending him back into the audience. "What's been happening from your end?"

"I've heard it's a full house tonight, and that's quite rare. Last year's production had like three rows in the back bare.," Seychelles replied.

"Really?," I asked, only to be cut off by a loudspeaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats! The production is about to begin."

"Crap, already?," I shook my fist at the loudspeaker.

"Did everyone get tuned?," Roderich was still running around, helping people with their own instrument mishaps. Ugh…I could feel the pre-performance jitters setting in!...

"O.K., is everyone ready?," Roderich stood at the conductor's podium, his baton thingy in hand.

Ah, crap! He's going to start the Overture any second now! An eerie silence filled the air as the Prologue scene began.

_"Sold! Your number, Sir? Thank you. Lot 665:…"_

I practically had these lines memorized by heart, which was pounding like a freaking drum now, by the way. Roderich gave us the signal to get ready to play, and I felt my violin tremble as I rested it under the left side of my chin. My bow grip was no better as I tried not to make a single sound until Roderich counted us off.

"_Eins… zwei… drei… vier…_," he counted off in German, as he did during every other rehearsal.

The Overture kicked off perfectly. We came in strong and the aura of the orchestra pit was just exhilarating. To be honest, I was starting to feel a little giddy myself. I like I was _really_ playing… for a_ real_ orchestra, with _real _music. In other words…it felt very fulfilling. However, that feeling faded as the Overture ended. Sitting back, I thought that it ended way too quickly… in fact these last few weeks are ending way too quickly too…

For the first few scenes, we got to relax a little bit, that is, until we got up to a rather complicated scene. The drama teachers had arranged for some cool smoke effects as two of the main characters, Christine and the Phantom, descend into the depths of the Paris Opera Populaire.

"What happened?"

"What's going on?"

"Are they O.K.?"

The stagehands were frantically running backstage, we poor musicians below could hear the thunderous stampede that were their footsteps. A stagehand ran up to Roderich, who gave him the orders to play some music to keep the audience entertained until the technical difficulties with some cherry picker and smoke machine. Ouch, I wonder what happened to the poor actress playing Christine? Or how about Sadiq? He was the one playing the Phantom, so what happened to him?-

"There she is!," the drama teacher screamed, making her way through the orchestra pit. Little did I know that she was making her way over to me.- Wha?

No. …NO… NONONONONONONONONONONONONO. FREAKING. WAY.

"Dear, we need you onstage!," the drama director dragged me out of my section.

"How?," I asked.

"First a couple of those blasted lights popped from overheating, and then the whole theater's circuits gave out and it went dark!," she explained.

"But the lights are back on, right?"

"Yes, but since everything went dark and our star actress fell off of something, she's saying that she can't perform! We've called the school nurse to examine her, but we can't keep the audience waiting any longer.," she continued. "Please, the next scene is long and we won't need a Christine until later. Hopefully by then we can figure out what went wrong and she'll be back on!"

"O.K., but won't it be weird for the audience to see two Christines?," I asked.

"It doesn't matter now! The show must go on!," she proclaimed the most cliché quote for the moment, and then dragged me back into the dressing rooms backstage.

* * *

Icky makeup? Check?

Uncomfortable costume? Check?

Completely screwed? Totally.

I took another disgusted look at my reflection in my dressing room mirror. I couldn't believe that I was actually going to act onstage. To be honest, I was happy, but nervous as hell. You know what? I should be warming my voice up or something now, shouldn't I?

"Ah~," I quietly sang a high note. O.K., not bad-

"…Hey…," O.K., now what is it with Heracles and just popping out of nowhere now?

"Ah!," I jumped, quickly turning around. "Way to give me a heart attack!-"

"C'mon… we're about to start it again… are you ready?," he held out his hand.

"HELL NO.," I quivered. "I'm SO not ready for this, I'm not warmed up for singing, especially for that dang high note-"

"Well… I think you'll do fine…," he gripped my chin, making me look directly up at him.

"Well, u-uh, say's you!-Mm!," my retort was cut off as our lips slammed against each other. Yeah, great way to cut me off!

"…That should loosen your tongue… right?"

"Ha-ha, real funny.," I replied after I broke off the kiss. Well, I had to agree with him that I was a bit more at ease now, but whatever! "But, hey weren't you going to take me onstage?"

* * *

"Mic test!," the stagehand yelled to me.

Adjusting the mic they had hidden on my costume, I said, "Test-"

Ugh! Microphone feedback is like the worst thing to happen to you onstage! My ears were ringing for a good 30 seconds after that.

"Ready everybody?," the drama director came onto the set one last time before opening up the curtain.

Gulping, I replied, "Yeah, sure!"

"Alright! We're starting with where we left off!"

I could tell that the audience was getting restless since the clamoring voices beyond the curtain continued.

_"Ladies and gentlemen we're about to begin, please take your seats!"_

Seriously, that loudspeaker has been like the bearer of bad news for me tonight. Obviously shaking like hell, I walked over to my spot and the curtain slowly went up.

The orchestra made an explosive entrance as we began "The Phantom of the Opera" music number. Heck, it was so good that it scared me, also consider the fact that I'm on this dark stage! As I approached my entrance into the song, I took a quick look into the audience and saw my friends all in one little corner of the theater. But in the dark lighting of the stage, they probably couldn't see me smiling at them. Oh, well…

I came in singing the first few lyrics of the song and I heard some murmuring in the audience:

"Who is that?"

"That isn't the same actress, right?"

Sighing, I had no choice but to continue on singing. If they thought I sucked, then lucky them: I won't be staying onstage for much longer after the song anyway.

We were drawing close to the end of the song and so was that damn high note that I have to sing. A freaking high E flat above the staff, of course. (**A/N: **At least according to my friend's Phantom of the Opera music, Christine's high note at the end of the song is a high E-flat. Please do correct me if I'm wrong.)

_"Sing, my angel of music!_,_" _the Phantom, or should I say Sadiq, said. I made a mental note that I had to seriously breathe, _breathe_ in order to pull off this string of high B-flats, C's, D's, and E-frickin-flats. Seriously, a note to all future actresses, high notes require some actual freaking work.

I vocalized the first string of high notes, starting on a high C, it was an O.K. execution. After a couple more notes, I took in a deep breath and held my fist against my chest, it was a trick that a friend of mine told me. Since she was in our high school chorus, she said to press your fist against your chest to hold out high notes better.

_"Sing!-"_

That high E-flat echoed long and loud once I opened my mouth. The whole stage and audience went quiet as I held that note and for a few moments after I cut it off. What did they think? Did I sound any good? The applause following after answered my question.

* * *

After that one scene, the regular actress for Christine had recovered from her little mishap before. So, I resumed my place in the orchestra. The rest of the musical went along fantastically, as expected. The audience responded with a thunderous applause at the end and the cast came out for a bow. The director then turned their attention to we musicians down in the orchestra pit. Praise is nice, you know? Let's you know that you're actually appreciated.

"Oh my gosh, you guys were great!," Erin came running up to me with the other girls not too far behind her.

"Yeah, thanks!," I replied. "Say, did you notice anything strange onstage?"

"Hm? What do you mean?," Erin asked.

"You were onstage!," Mei said. "I can't believe I almost forgot that."

"Yeah, we were wondering what was going on when they let you go onstage.," Belgium said.

"But since the lights went out, we had assumed that something had gone wrong…," Vietnam pondered. "Did anything happen to the actors?"

"The actress playing Christine hurt herself in all of the commotion, but the nurse fixed her up quickly so she could carry on for the rest of the musical.," I explained. "She's fine now."

"Well, that's a relief.," Elizaveta said. "How was Roderich?"

"Oh, he just seemed pretty worried about something earlier, that's why he was hiding out before. Something about you, Glibert, and him?-"

"Ugh, it's not what you think-"

"Oh, yes it is!," Seychelles came in running after me, see how we were both with the orchestra the whole time. "I was here last year to witness all that drama between you and Gilbert, so there's obviously something going on."

"I swear, nothing happened! Roderich is just assuming these things without even talking to me!," Elizaveta replied.

"Well, I heard him and Vash talking about it a few days ago, I think Roderich thought that you were going to choose Gilbert over hi-," Liechtenstein said, only to have her mouth covered by Hungary's palm.

"SH! Maybe we should continue this conversation at my dorm, what do you think?," Elizaveta asked us.

"Um, you know what could solve all of this?," I interrupted. "Why… don't you just go and explain everything to Roderich now? I mean, he's right over there in the orchestra pit, you know."

"Yeah, we'll come with you, if it makes you feel better, too.," Mei said.

"Well, I would love to accompany you, but I've got some business to take care of first.," I lied. I sincerely didn't want to be mean and exclude myself out of the whole situation, but I had to find Alfred first. Remember the incident with the English Literature teacher? Yeah, I never really got back to him on that.

I left the theater, carrying my violin case and music. It looked as if the whole school had turned out for the musical, which obviously made me feel great in having been part of such a successful production. But enough about me, how about more about a certain approaching tall Scandinavian nation?

"Wha? Since when did you get here?," I almost dropped everything to run over and greet Denmark and the other Nordic nations tagging along behind him.

"Hmph! You thought that I wouldn't' show for something like this!," he replied.

"I never told you that I was even going to be in the musical! And you didn't have to drag in the rest of Scandinavia if they didn't want to-!," I retorted.

"Oh no, it was fine, really!," Tino said. "Tests are done anyway, so we don't really have any plans."

"You sure?," I asked. "But either way, I'm SO sorry if he dragged you into this, but I really have to go find somebody-"

"Hey! I'm right here!," Denmark retorted.

"Not you!," I yelled back. Sighing, I waved goodbye to the other Nordics before making my way down that hallway.

"Wait a second!"

"Ugh, what do you want now, Den-!," I reluctantly turned around, only to have a bouquet of flowers shoved in my face. Giving a small gasp in surprise, I asked, "Are these for… me?"

"Yeah…," he turned away, scratching the back of his head, looking all cute- I mean, embarrassed. "Isn't this the type of thing that you give after a great performance like that?"

"U-Um… I guess so…," I kept my gaze on the flowers, trying to hide my blush under the bouquet of forget-me-nots. Really, these flowers are just freaking adorable. "Thanks!" Before running off, I gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"W-Wait! What was that for!," Denmark yelled back, still rubbing his cheek in disbelief.

"…Well, I don't know how to thank you…and I gotta go, too. It was kind of the first thing that came to mind.," I said, finally bidding farewell. However, I couldn't conceal my small chuckles and smile as I indistinctly heard Denmark running off to the other Nordics saying, "See! I told ya that she'll like it! But did you listen to me? Nooooo-!"

* * *

"Alfred?," I yelled, running through the dorms. Just where could he be on a Friday night? I could've sworn that I saw him in the theater earlier. "Al-!"

"Yeah? Who's there?," Alfred stumbled out of his dorm, obviously a little sleepy. Looks like he was trying to get some shut-eye.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know that you were asleep! You know what, it can wait until tomorrow-"

"Hm? Jack! You were great tonight!," he gave me a hug, cutting off all of my respiratory airways as usual.

"T…Thanks…!," I said, then he finally broke off the hug.

"So…why're you lookin' for me at this late hour?," Alfred asked.

"Well, I never got to properly thank you for standing up for me. It really meant a lot, you know.," I replied. "So maybe I could treat you to some burgers or something this weekend-"

"Burgers!," Alfred's eyes twinkled. "Of course! Consider it a date!"

I blushed, "A d-date? I thought that you were still together with Erin!"

"Wha? Of course I still love Erin, but you're a good friend of mine. She's planning to go shopping or something with her gal friends anyway.," Alfred explained. Tousling my hair, he retreated back into his dorm saying, "Well, see ya later!"

A… date, huh?...

O.K., now I know what you're thinking,… I've said it once and I'll say it again: I swear to God that nothing's going to happen!

_To be continued…_


	19. Chapter 18

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 18:**

O.K., I seriously needed some shut-eye after the musical, especially if Alfred and I were going to be hitting the town this weekend. And just to get this out of the way, CALL IT A DATE, I DON'T FREAKING CARE! Yeah, really, I'm actually letting _you_ call it a date. See? I can actually be nice once in a while!

I called him that Saturday and set the time and date for 10:30 A.M., and with the luck that I have for these kind of things, guess who was waiting for fifteen minutes at the campus gates!...

…Boy, tardiness has become one of my pet peeves over the course of the year, hasn't it? Luckily, the American idiot himself came running in exclaiming, "I'm sorry I'm laaaaaaaate!~"

"It's alright…," I sighed. "I wasn't even waiting too long-"

"So…who's up for some burgers?," he excitedly interrupted.

Smiling, I faked my enthusiasm saying, "Me!-"

"Well, let's go!," Alfred grabbed my wrist and dragged me out the gates. Outside on the sidewalk he had parked his motorcycle that I haven't seen since before the Christmas Break. Gee, I wonder if he's going to be dragging me onto that thing again?-

Seriously, the world needs a sarcasm button, in case you couldn't detect its obvious existence in the last sentence.

While zooming past traffic at some ungodly speed, I took one last at the city since it will most likely be my last. Also considering the nice weather today, this day just seemed so perfect… perhaps fate decided not to be a bitch today and allow me to enjoy my last week at the World Academy. Sad, I know, but-

"Hey! We're here!," Alfred's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Wait, what?," I shook my head, still shaking off the daydream.

"Look, this right here: is the BEST place in the city to get burgers!," Alfred then presented the diner that we had stopped in front of. The place looked like one of those classic 1950s diners, kinda cool. "What're you waiting for? I'm starvin'!"

A waiter seated us at a table in the back by the windows and left us with the menus. Quite an array of American cuisine made up most of the options I had: malt shakes, milkshakes, hamburgers, hot dogs, foot-long sandwiches, any other grease-filled food, you name it. Man, I'll have to go back on a diet after this.

"So…what're you getting?," Alfred asked.

I peeked over my menu saying, "Maybe I'll just have a wrap or a salad-"

"NO!," Alfred interjected. "When you're eating out with the HERO, you're not going on that whole 'dieting' crap! I'm ordering you a burger!"

"Wha-?," I asked, but it was obviously no use, once this guy was determined to make me eat a burger, I'm eating a burger no matter what I do.

"Hello, can I get you two some drinks to start with?," the waiter finally came back over to our table.

"Two cokes!," Alfred ordered for me, once again.

"Yeah, and are you ready to order yet?," the waiter asked again.

"Yep! Two burgers and a chocolate shake for later.," Alfred obviously took it upon himself to place an order for me again.

"Will that be it?"

"Yeah."

"Give it about 15 minutes."

Great, 15 minutes left alone with this guy? Sigh… I might as well bring up some good conversation in the mean time. I mean, I can't keep ignoring Alfred like he's a disease or something… Hm… I wonder what metaphorical disease I'm talking about…

Cancer?...

Nah.

The common cold?...

Heck no.

The flu?...

No, the flu makes you feel like crap…

A fever?

O.K., maybe a fever, I mean he is hot- NO! WHAT THE HELL AM I SAYING? This is my _friend's boyfriend_, I've already been mistaken as 'that other girl,' I don't need another reason to be mistaken again!

"So, what's up?," Alfred started off the conversation casually. Luckily, I could delay my reply as the waiter came back with our cokes.

"Well, nothin' much since the musical.," I replied, taking a sip of my coke.

"But it was pretty awesome, and I was in the freaking back!," Alfred replied. "I could even see you come out and do your singing thing-a-magig after the lights went out."

Almost choking on my coke, I replied shyly, "Y-You did?-"

"Yeah! It was great! And here I thought you hated singing."

"Well, I kinda did until I joined the understudy cast. My parents had made me take voice lessons as a kid until I convinced them that I hated it with a burning passion.," I explained. "Now, I'm O.K. with it, the drama director and the other actors and actresses were pretty nice and really helped me improve."

"Now you're ready for Broadway, aren't ya?," Alfred joked.

"Hmph, yeah sure…," I retorted, looking out the window.

"Say…what're you gonna do once you fly back to New York?," aw, Alfred just _had_ to bring up that issue. Personally, I wanted to stay at the World Academy for the rest of my high school career if I had the chance to. Going through junior and senior year with these crazy nations would've been a dream come true. Just think of all the things that we'll get to experience: Senior Prom, applying for college, and all that good stuff. But, now I gotta leave and brave it out in my old sucky life.

"You know… I don't even know.," I replied. "If I could stay-"

"You should!," Alfred interrupted with a sincere look in his eyes.

"Sorry, but I don't have that choice, now do I?"

"Hmph, it's not fair…maybe I could get my government to convince the school-"

"No! Really, it's no big deal Alfred. This year has already been great! Meeting you and (literally) the rest of the world, this is something that I'll never forget. Staying any longer would just lead to me taking being with you, especially, for granted.

"Two burgers, comin' right up!," damn waiter cut off Alfred. Oh well, we'll just have to continue this conversation afterwards.

Sighing, I looked down at my burger and reached for my fork and knife. Just as I began cutting up the burger, Alfred exclaimed, "You're not serious, are you? Cutting up a beautiful burger up like that?"

"Um, I guess, it is kinda big-" (That's what she said.)

"No, no, no, no, no!," Alfred continued ranting. "Pick up the burger."

I picked up the big glob of greasiness.

"And eat it."

Hesitantly taking a bite into the burger, I was surprised at how good it was. Totally beats McDonalds'.

"It's good, am I right?," Alfred said.

"Well, …yeah, I seriously haven't had a burger this good in a while.," I admitted. "How'd you find this place?"

"Oh, Erin and I came here a couple of times."

Gulp. Here comes that wave of guilt again. Knowing that, I couldn't help but feel sick to my stomach. After we had finished our burgers, the waiter came to get our plates and bring back our chocolate shake too.

"Hey, are you alright? You kinda look sick.," Alfred asked, looking concerned.

"Nah, it's nothing, it's just…," I looked out the window. "I feel terrible knowing that you and Erin are still in love and together, yet here I am on what looks like a date-"

"Don't feel bad! Erin knows that we're just friends, so it's O.K.-"

"'Just friends…' are we, really?," I looked at him with earnest eyes. Seriously, would you say that getting into a relationship with your own country awkward or just sick? No, getting into a relationship with a taken nation is sick.

"Of course we are!," Alfred said, breaking the awkward silence.

Well, there goes my suspicions and assumptions.

"And here's your chocolate shake, you two! Enjoy!," the waiter plopped the chocolate milkshake in the middle of the table between us. I noticed that there was, not one, but TWO straws…

GEE, I WONDER WHAT THAT COULD MEAN.

"Hm? Aren't you gonna have some?," Alfred asked after taking a long sip of the sugary drink.

"Um, no! You go ahead and enjoy it-"

"NO, it's a lot more fun if I can share it with you!," Alfred insisted, so I had no choice but to take that second straw that was just mocking me on the table, as if it was mentally saying, 'Ooooohhh~ Go ahead, share this tall sugary, calorie-filled milkshake with him~' O.K., is it normal to think that inanimate objects are mentally mocking me? Well, whatever. I ended up sharing it with him, and it was pretty good, it wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be.

"Ah, wasn't that great?," Alfred said after we had finished it and the waiter had come to take our dishes and get the bill.

"Yeah, it was.," I replied. "Oh, and I'm getting the bill, it's my treat-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… what kind of friend would I be letting you pay for everything?," Alfred interrupted. "Iggy would scold me for being 'un-gentleman like' if I let you. I'll pay for my share, and you pay for yours, deal?"

"Wha? I mean…O.K., fine.," I said, laying my money out for the waiter, who took our cash as we left.

We rode back to the campus shortly after in silence. It was a humid June afternoon, so our tongues were still dry even after drinking that tall and cold chocolate milkshake.

"Well, here we are!," Alfred stopped in front of the campus gates and dropped me off.

"Thanks for the ride and lunch. I had a great time.," I said.

"Say, Jackie, before I go, I've got a favor to ask of you.," Alfred said in a serious tone.

Hm, must be important. "Yeah, sure! What is it?"

"Save a dance for me, even if it might be the last, at the Sophomore Dance on Friday!," he said before taking off again. Great, now I can't refuse!

* * *

I decided to wander around campus to try and find the other female nations. Surprisingly, they were nowhere to be found! Seriously, where is everybody today? Before resuming my search, I wiped away some small beads of sweat on my hairline. Boy, it sure is humid today…maybe everyone decided to hit the pool? Ugh, it they did, then there's no way I'm goin' in there again. Insert embarrassing memories of nearly drowning and being saved at the hands of two idiots. (*cough* Alfred and Denmark *cough*)

Hm… then who do I know that clearly isn't an idiot that I could hang out with today?

…

What are the chances of anybody being in the school theater?

* * *

Even when completely empty, the grand appearance of the World Academy's theater never ceases to amaze me. What I would give to have a beautiful school theater back home-

…And what I would give to stop running into a certain nation at the most awkward and unexpected times.

"I had a feeling that you would be here.," I sighed, walking down the aisle towards the stage where Heracles just came from backstage.

"…You clearly know me pretty well if you were able to find me…," he said. "What're you doing here…anyway?... Why aren't you enjoying the weather… like everyone else?"

"Hmph, you clearly don't know me well if you're saying that. I'm clearly not like everyone else. Question is, what're you doing here?," I asked, leaning on the stage.

"…Why don't you just get up here first?... Then we can talk…," Heracles said.

He took his hands in mine and pulled me up onstage, but my momentum turned against me as I literally fell right into him.

"Ah! Whoops! I'm sorry, I-," I stumbled with my words.

"It's alright… I like it this way anyway…," he was clearly enjoying my close proximity to him.

"Um… O.K. …but could you please let go of me before someone sees us-"

"Ha! I knew it!"

Crap, too late. I immediately spazzed out at the sound of an obvious other presence in the theater. Oh, and just why did it have to be Sadiq? Putting him and Heracles together was just asking for Armageddon.

"…Leave us alone… can't you see that I don't feel like dealing with your idiocy now…," Heracles glared at him.

"Don't worry, your little secret's safe with me, I just wanted to see if my assumptions were correct. Seriously, you're terrible at hiding your true feelings. I could see you sneaking a peek at her during drama practice all the time.," Sadiq said.

O.K., if this was true, then I can't stop my face from turning into a thousand shades of red right now.

"Alright, I leave you two alone now~"

"Shut up.," Heracles retorted back at him once more as he left the theater. "…I'm sorry about that, …God he's such an idiot-"

"Don't worry about it, all I'm concerned about is making sure he doesn't tell anybody-"

"…Why? …Is there somebody else, or?..."

"Not necessarily, but if my parents found out that I've been hanging out with you, I'll have to consider myself dead.," I explained.

"…Say, …I've got something to ask of you…"

"Hm? What is it? Can't be worse than what I'm gonna have to do when I get back to New York.," I shrugged.

"Well… it's about that.," Heracles said.

CRAAAAP, can't I go through a day without having a conversation about my departure from the World Academy.

"Listen, I don't want to talk about it, _at all_… and if-"

"…Do you think we'll ever… see each other again?," he asked.

"Well, I highly doubt it- Aw, no wait… I mean… perhaps… maybe? I mean, Manhattan is a really diverse city, hopefully your government will send you overseas or… something…," I suggested. "Hm, I really don't know, but that doesn't matter now… Can we just talk about something else?"

"Sure… Are you coming on Friday?"

Friday, Friday… what was happening on Friday?- Oh, the Sophomore Dance thing-a-magig. "Ugh, you're asking me out, am I right?," I sighed.

"Why?... Is that a problem?"

"No, but-"

"Then you'll wait for me there, …won't you?," he asked.

"Um…," I pondered the thought for a second before accepting, "Sure!" Seriously, Alfred can't possibly show up at the place at the same time as Heracles, right? _Right…_

* * *

Throughout the rest of that school week, everyone was running all over the place, returning past due library books, submitting late work, etc. Being the diligent geek that I am, I had no such worries. For once, my worries now lie in the fabrics of my terrible social life. Luckily, I got the opportunity to cram in with the Baltics at least one more time. We helped each other make up work, do homework, dawdle off on Facebook, it was a lot like those good first few weeks of school. Oh, missing days like that is probably one of the worse things in leaving the World Academy…

"Hm, I'm going to go drop off my garbage downstairs.," I said. "I'll be right back. "

Locking my dorm's door, I carried a small bag's worth of garbage, mainly consisting of papers and wrappers. Not anything too heavy. Dropping it in the garbage disposal on the lobby floor, I retreated back up the stairs. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being followed. Mentally sighing, I knew that this is bound to end up in some awkward situation with some guy, God this is just like something straight out of a bad fanfiction.

"I know you're there, so might as well show yourself.," I said nonchalantly on the second floor hallway. The heavy footsteps behind me ceased.

"Aw, can't I _ever _surprise you?"

"Then you clearly don't know me, Denmark.," I sighed. "If you wanted to ask me something, you didn't have to catch me alone in a freaking hallway."

"Ugh, I guess it's better to be… more blunt with you, that's the word, right?," Denmark asked.

"Yeah, pretty much.," I retorted. "O.K., now out with it-"

"Will you go out with me on Friday?-"

"Whoa, now that's a bit more blunt than I thought you'd be, but…um…," I stumbled. "Well, the thing is- I mean-"

"Maybe Norge and the others were right, you probably don't have the time to hang out with an idiot like me…," was this Denmark actually humbling himself? My God, I'm impressed! How could Ii just leave the poor guy hanging if he's actually calling himself an idiot for me?

"You know what? I don't plan on having a date, but I'll be there at the dance, if you want. Don't worry, I'll save you a dance or something-," I insisted, before being crushed in a near-lethal hug.

"Thanks! I knew I could count on you!," Denmark tousled my hair, obviously overjoyed. Sighing, I hoped that perhaps some dilemma won't occur on Friday night.

…But of course, what am I to expect of my life? Up until now, something wrong, awkward, or just me in a compromising position has a 100% chance of happening no matter what I do.

_To be continued…_


	20. Chapter 19

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 19:**

Now, my friends are fully aware that I hate dresses… so why are they bothering taking me dress shopping the week of the Sophomore Dance? I swear, the things that I'll do with these countries… makes me realize that I'm going to miss their fun little escapades in a few days.

Even though I had insisted that wearing my old dress from back during the New Year's party would be fine, Elizaveta, Erin, Seychelles, and the others strongly disagreed.

"Are you kidding?," Erin pouted at me.

"What?," I retorted.

"It's your last dance here, why would you go in that old thing?," Elizaveta asked.

"Because getting a new one is too dang expensive-?"

"Oh, c'mon, we'll go with you to this store where we got huge discounts on our dresses.," Seychelles insisted.

"Really? Are you sure?," I continued to try and weasel out of having to be dragged on over to the mall. "I mean, I appreciate you setting your time aside for me and all-"

"There's no escapin' it.," Erin grabbed my wrist and dragged me over to the bus stop. "We're going shopping!"

Just…_ great…_

I swear, to some girls, attending a high school prom or dance, that's considered the pinnacle of their whole social lives. For me? NO. Just, …no. Personally, had it not been for a certain three male nations that have requested that I attend this dance, I wouldn't even be going! Plus, how the heck can this dress store have such a huge spectrum of freakin' pink dresses? Seriously, I know that pink might be a popular choice of dress color among teenage girls, but have they ever considered that some girls don't want pink? Like, me?

"Take your pick!," Erin excitedly kept on pushing me into the store. I reluctantly walked around among the full pink spectrum, frowning on most of the selection that the store had.

Ugh, too short.

That'll make me look like a slut.

Seriously, why is this dress cut so narrow anyway?

Geez, is there anything in here that I could feel decent in wearing in front of the whole dang school?- Oh, wait… could that be something else other than pink I see in the corner of the store?

I picked up this crimson red dress, it was… unique to say the least. The top half resembled something like a kimono, and downward from the black floral design sash, the bottom half was extremely ruffled, very similar to the ruffles of a flamenco dress. But, I just had to have it, I actually found a dress that I like… geez these friends of mine can really bring out the girly in me.

Approaching the cashier, I asked, "How much? There's no price tag on it."

"Mmm…," she thought long and hard. "Sixty."

Did she mean sixty U.S. dollars? Crap, I know that it's a nice dress… but I'm only wearing it once, why would it cost so much then?

"Hey, wait a second!," Seychelles intervened. "You gave my friends and I a huge discount on our dresses last week."

"Yeah, we brought another friend of ours here, hoping that you could be generous enough to give her one too.," Elizaveta added, I could tell that they were trying to win over the cashier. Although I would normally call that stupid…it was actually kind of sweet that they were doing it for me, knowing of how rotten I've been acting towards the fact of even going shopping.

"It is also rather rare that this one here actually wears dresses, and it's a miracle that she found something to her tastes among your selection.," Erin said, playfully pointing out my un-girly nature in defying dresses all the time.

With a bit more convincing, the cashier gave us a good price on my dress. Boy, did I _really_ owe these girls, big time now.

"Thanks for the dress again, you guys.," I said as we walked out. "I could've been seriously ripped off if you weren't with me."

"It's no problem.," Erin replied. "Just do us a favor and actually wear that to the dance."

"Yeah, I mean, we know that it's not you're kind of thing…," Seychelles said. "But, it is your last few days here, so it's great to look your best while they last."

O.K., please tell me that I'm not tearing up on the inside because of how freaking great these girls are? Ugh, I couldn't think about leaving now… I should pay back these girls in some way, ice cream, maybe?

* * *

Now I'm going to do what I haven't done since the beginning of the year… skip the whole week until Friday! Well, I guess that today's the day where I'll be stepping out in a dress at the World Academy for the last time, and possibly showing my face in public since I've got to dodge the three certain nations that bugged me into going into this thing. Yes, I'm still trying to weasel out of everything. Boy, I haven't changed a bit, have I?

Well, to my surprise, Roderich was performing with what is supposed to look like a small instrument ensemble… except the other chairs and stands were empty. I wonder what happened?

"You didn't tell me that we could perform tonight!," I ran up to Roderich, and crossed my arms, waiting for an explanation as to why I wasn't informed of this.

"Well, that's what you get for leaving orchestra practice early!," Roderich retorted, still shifting his sheet music around. "Plus, I had assumed that someone else would've told you-"

"Do you, or do you not: value me as a musician?-"

"O.K., fine! You can perform, it's seems that the rest of my 'volunteers' have ditched me for the dance, anyway-," Roderich finally gave in, after pestering him into letting me join in.

"Alright! Thanks, Roddie!-," I flashed a thumbs up (wouldn't Alfred be proud?).

"Just, DON'T call me that…," he interrupted, obviously mortified at the nickname that I just gave him.

"O.K., I'll be back with my instrument and my sheet music!"

Seriously, I give myself credit for getting back to the dance in five minutes time, in _heels_. _HEELS!_ Ah, a girly friend of mine would be proud. But boy, were my feet killing me…

"So, what're we playing first?," I asked Roderich as I began setting up my instrument.

"Ugh, we're going to start with something a little easy, how about…this waltz?," he pointed to the piano accompaniment that he had. I had the corresponding violin part in my sheet music.

"Sure, whenever you're ready.," I replied, obviously still rosining my bow, kicking my instrument case aside, and getting ready in general.

Luckily, the piano started off the waltz, and I had the chance to continue fiddling around with my instrument (Ha! You get it? I play the violin, and people also call it a fiddle? Eh?...) before I came with my part, and on cue too! Looking out into the swaying couples out there, I had to admit that I felt good that my music (well, also Roderich's) is playing such a huge role in their evening. Ah, I can just imagine it now: one of the girls will blissfully remember, "Hm, do you remember that lovely waltz that that pianist and violinist played at the Sophomore Dance?" Then, her date will say, "Yeah! And their parts harmonized so well-!"

Aw, who am I kidding? _Normal_ teenagers wouldn't talk like that, and nor would they care for classical music, either… Well, after that waltz, we continued playing for another fifteen or so minutes before Elizaveta approached the small stage that Roderich and I were performing on. Oh, I see what's gonna go on~

"Roderich?," Elizaveta leaned on his 'beloved' piano.

"Yes, Hungary?," he replied in a formal tone, not even looking away from his music.

"Can I at least have this dance?," she looked at him with sincere, pleading eyes.

Oh, I _know_ that Roddie won't be able to resist Lizzie's puppy dog eyes so easily… But I don't know why I'm suddenly giving countries embarrassing nicknames! But once we finished another song, I intervened and solved the problem by doing what I do best, reprimanding my friends and practically dictating their love lives. Now am I not a wonderful friend, am I not?

"Seriously, Roderich, go dance with her already.," I put down my violin from under my chin for a moment, resting my arms for a bit.

"But what will you play, by yourself?," he asked.

"Oh, I've got quite a repertoire in my head, Roddie, don't you worry.," I replied, watching the two of them make their way onto the dance floor. Aw, I just can't get over of how cute the two of them looked together!

As the spotlight moved onto me, I could just feel the stares of the crowd just burning into my soul. I had to admit that I was starting to get a bad case of stage fright, but I had to shake off the notion soon, plus what would've all that drama practice been for if I just freeze up here and now?

O.K., Jacqueline, calm the heck down and just… play the dang violin. Lifting up the violin underneath my chin, I drew my bow and began "All I Ask of You," that romantic song from "The Phantom of the Opera" and from a couple of chapters back. I progressed further in the song, and I actually thought that I sounded pretty O.K. But, I was eventually cut off as the D.J. that was hired came in, blasting his terrible excuse for 'music.' Seriously, just as I was about to get my big shot at performing in front of practically the whole student body, as a _soloist_ mind you, this dude comes in and beats me with some so-called 'music' that's practically consisted of nothing but synthesizers! Ugh, this was just humiliating and heartbreaking-

"I have to admit, you were doing fine…," Roderich came up to me after Elizaveta had gone off to the blasting 'music' off in the distance. "…until that blasting piece of garbage came in."

"Yeah, but, majority rules. What're you gonna do? Kids these days don't have any taste in music.," I shook my head, putting my instrument and things away. "Well, I gotta go and put this back in my dorm-"

"So you're not staying for the rest of the dance?,' Roderich asked.

I contemplated the thought of just walking out right here and now… but a little voice inside of me said, "Stay! Make this the best night of your life!" For once… I actually listened to that tiny voice of mine.

"Nope, I'm comin' back.," I proudly said.

"Ah, that's good. One of the drama boys wanted to know whether or not you were going to.," Roderich turned to walk away. "Hm, I'm pretty sure that you know who I'm referring to."

Ugh, I most certainly know which certain nation is snooping around, trying to see if I ditched him or not.

Obviously a bit irritated, I told Roderich, "Well, if you do see him around, tell him I'll be there."

Perhaps it's about time that I stop trying to weasel my way out of awkward situations like this and just face the music.

* * *

Returning to the dance once more, the crowd of couples had almost nearly doubled! Wow, it looked like the whole school turned out for this occasion, I'm impressed! I mean, it isn't exactly Senior Prom, but everybody's having a great time nonetheless. In fact, I even caught a glimpse of Iggy and Seychelles on the dance floor together on my way in. Aw, I had to admit that I was about to fangirl squeal when I saw that, but judging from the strange looks that the two were getting, I knew that I would just embarrass myself doing that.

Slipping in through the crowd, I made it to a small, secluded corner of the room. Dimly lit and awfully close to the punch table, it was the perfect place for wallflowers like me to just waste the night away. Yep, this is really how I'm spending my last night here, isn't it great?-

Aw, who am I kidding? Looking at all of the happy, dancing students, I almost wished that I had the guts that they all have to go out and dance the night away. Dancing obviously isn't my thing, and even with friends I'm reluctant to do so. You know what? Forget it! I'm dancing, yes, freaking _dancing_ tonight! I don't care if it kills me, but it's my last night at the World Academy and damn am I going to party my butt off!

…Now the only problem is finding a dance partner. Geez, you'd think that after spending an entire year with these people, you'd think that I would always have some poor soul to drag out to dance with me-

"Hey! I thought that I might find you somewhere!," well, turns out that the poor soul tonight is me, judging from the fact that the self proclaimed "King of Scandinavia" is making his way over to my little, secluded corner.

"Ugh, Denmark… what do you want now?," I sighed.

"Well, how 'bout that dance that you promised me?," Denmark excitedly gestured towards the dance floor.

'Promised?' I practically had no choice but to accept. Really, Denmark really reminded me of Alfred sometimes: doesn't take 'no' for an answer, can be rather annoying, inconsiderate, loud- no, unnecessarily loud, and- Aw, just why did he just happen to be shooting a puppy dog look at me now? Seriously, this guy's gotta be desperate if he thinks that it'll win me over.

"Not buyin' it.," I crossed my arms and legs.

"Please?," Denmark kept on asking.

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Really, no."

"O.K., fine."

"Wait, what? No!"

"So you want to dance?," damn, he tricked me!

"Uh-"

"I'll take that as a yes!," Denmark grabbed me by the wrist and we immediately weaved in through the crowd of dancing people as another song started.

"Whoa! What was that for?," I asked, still spinning from the taller man having drug me out here.

"Enough talking, more dancing!," Denmark took one of my hands in his and the other placed on his shoulder.

Damn was this awkward since I'm kinda short…

"Ugh, O.K.?," I replied, hesitantly. Our feet (well, actually, it was just mine) were moving in a freaking mess as I pretty much have no rhythm left from ballroom dancing class whatsoever.

"C'mon, I thought that you had aced ballroom dancing!," Denmark laughed.

"I did!," I retorted.

"Hmph, oh really?"

"Really."

Before the expected smart-alecky reply came, he leaned in closer to my ear and said, "Then show me."

Hmph! Show him! Why, I'll show him alright! No way am I going to let him doubt my grades, nor my abilities. Taking the lead in the dance, I felt the atmosphere's aura had just completely changed. It was lively, happy, and I was actually enjoying dancing! Really, who would've thought? As the song ended, I felt my head spinning, the moment had passed... just like that, but boy was it fun.

"Whoa! Now I'm sorry that I even doubted you!," Denmark said. "Who would've thought that your feet we fit for dancing after all!"

"Ugh, well, I just couldn't let you denounce my abilities like that-"

"My, there you go again, I really didn't mean it like that!," he replied. "I mean, you did enjoy dancing, right?"

Sighing, I smiled saying, "Although I hate to admit it, I most certainly did-"

"Aw! I knew that even a gal like you can't resist a dance with the King of Scandinavia!," he proudly proclaimed, crushing me in a near-lethal hug.

"Um, you're welcome?," I had managed to say before I retreated back to my little corner in the room. Back to solitude it is...

Sighing, the dancing continued and I could feel my feet anxious to move again. Plus, I wonder how everyone is taking in the fact that I'm not out with Alfred. Mwahahaha... I've been deceiving everyone up until now, haven't I?-

But I'm about to confuse everyone once again because a certain approaching nation that Roderich told me was looking for me. Ugh, here we go again...

"Honestly, can't I get a break tonight?," I laughed. "It seems like everyone is out to get me, in some sort of the matter-"

"...Your solo earlier was lovely... until they brought in the blasting music...," Heracles actually started off the conversation for once.

I could feel the instant warmth radiating from my cheeks, "U-Uh, thanks! Um, enjoying the dance so far?"

"...Yeah, it's getting rather late...isn't it?," he said.

Looking at the clock in the grand dance hall, my face fell into dismay. Honestly, I couldn't have been dancing with Denmark for that long? Where did all of that time just go?

"Damn, you're right.," I replied.

"...What's the matter?," he suddenly asked, concerned. "...Was it something I said?"

"No, it's just...," I fiddled around with my fingers. "...How 'bout that dance?" My head faced down, and I was gazing at my hands. Gosh, I felt so silly in asking him, my stomach felt like I was about explode-

"...Sure."

Sure? Sure? Is that it? I would've expected some dramatic gesture or whatever to take me onto the dance floor, like a normal teenage girl, but no... "Sure" is his answer. I sighed, how could have I forgotten that he's not a nation of many words. But nonetheless, he can make the butterflies in my stomach whip up a storm without saying a word.

Taking my hand, I obediently made my way onto the dance floor. A couple of people gasped in surprise at who my dance partner is for the moment. Well, might as well confuse the student body to the very end!

A slower song began to play and we immediately swung into line with the rest of the couples.

"Wow, if only I could've had you in my ballroom dancing class! I bet my feet wouldn't have been abused as much as they were.," I sighed, thinking back to the numerous guys that have destroyed my feet (and their feet that I've destroyed!).

"...Same here.," he replied, once again in a statement of less than five words. Great. Now how am I going to strike up a conversation?

Suddenly, I heard the record on the D.J. booth scratch and some jumpy, lively tune started up once again. Oh boy, how am I going to cope with this, having had a slower song on before?-

"Whoa!," my dance partner immediately took charge with the sudden song change.

Despite the more harsh and passionate feel of the song, he was still gentle with me (NO, NOT IN THAT WAY), unlike the quote-unquote "King of Scandinavia." Seriously, what is up with me? I'm actually enjoying this? Impossible... But, the World Academy has seemed to have brought out the best (and worst) out of me, so I shouldn't expect anything else.

However, I could've lived without him dipping me in a tango-like fashion at the climatic, loud end of the song.

"Um, Heracles?," I nervously asked.

"...What?"

"Everyone's looking...!," I hinted at the wide-eyed crowd.

"...Well then...," he said as I rose up again. "...let's get out of here."

"Um, O.K.," I followed suit, still a bit embarrassed at the amount of shocked stares that I am getting. But once I had finally retreated back to my little corner, I was a bit more relieved. "Boy, that was great, right?"

"Yeah,... say, do you need anything?"

"Um, no I'm alright.," I replied. "I just need to... sit down, that's all."

"...I'm going to go get some punch or something... I'll be back."

"Alright, I'll be waiting over here!," I replied. But in about five minutes time, my third nation of the night managed to drag me out onto the dance floor... in the worst freaking possible way-

"HEY!~," America had somehow hijacked the D.J. booth, or perhaps I just shouldn't ask. "World Academy! How're you doing?"

"YEAH!," the crowd replied in unison.

"Then how 'bout one last song for all you couples out there?," Alfred continued yelling into the microphone.

The crowd agreed, loudly, again.

"Alright! But first, we got a pretty little wallflower there in the corner...," he directed some stupid spotlight to shine over in my general direction. "...and she doesn't want to dance!"

"Boooooo!," great Alfred... just, _GREAT_.

"I'm not gettin' the D.J. to play a song until she gets on the dance floor!-"

"I'm comin' Alfred, happy now?," I crossed my arms, just stepping onto the dance floor, obviously unamused.

"Alright, World Academy, show us what you've got!~," Alfred finally left the D.J. and making his way past the other dancing couples,...

...and over his way over to me.

I swear to God, why? Why?

"Alfred, I appreciate you trying to get me to have some fun, but... really? Really?," I asked.

"Enough talkin', this is your last night here, right?," Alfred asked.

"Yeah, but-"

"Now wouldn't you want your last dance... on your last night here... with your hero?"

My hero? _Excuuuuuuse me!_

"Um, uh...," I stuttered, but Alfred had already taken the lead in the dance.

To my dismay, a rather cliche pick of a song started playing:

"_I can be your hero, baby~"_

"Really, Alfred? REALLY?," I looked at him, shocked.

"Well, it definitely fits the mood, right?," he smiled.

"Yes, but-"

"But what?," Alfred asked. "Let's just dance, alright?"

"Hm...," I mumbled. "O.K."

Now even with the cliche song playing, and putting aside the fact that this is my friend's boyfriend, my night was just getting better. Swaying with the other couples, my heart began pounding, and I had some urge to tell him something... Perhaps having strong feelings for your own nation wouldn't be so awkward after all, just maybe...

At that very instant, the song ended, and the couples parted.

"Well, that wasn't too bad.," I smiled.

"Yeah, I can't believe that you're actually quite the dancer.," Alfred said. "Maybe you should do this a lot more often."

"Yeah...," I replied. "Well, I don't know what to say-"

He placed a finger on my mouth saying, "Maybe... you don't have to say a thing."

"...W-What do you mean?," I asked.

He leaned in closer, what could this mean...perhaps?... My hopes were immediately shattered as he quickly kissed the top of my forehead and ran off into the distance, "Maybe I'll catch you around tomorrow!"

Tomorrow? Yeah, tomorrow... my last day at the World Academy.

_To be continued..._


	21. Chapter 20

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Chapter 20:**

Goodbye (English, DUH),  
Adiós (Spanish),  
Au revoir (French),  
Auf Wiedersehen (German),  
Arrivederci (Italian),  
Vaarwel (Dutch),  
再见 (simplified Chinese),  
Да спаткання (Belarusian),  
Hüvasti (Estonian),  
Näkemiin (Finnish),  
Сбогом (Bulgarian),  
Farvel (Danish),  
Αντίο (Greek),  
Afscheid (Dutch),  
Kveðja (Icelandic),  
さようなら (Japanese),  
안녕히 계세요 (Korean),  
Ardievas (Latvian),  
Sudie (Lithuanian),  
Pożegnanie (Polish),  
До свидания (Russian),  
Elveda (Turkish),  
до побачення (Ukrainian),  
tạm biệt (Vietnamese)  
búcsú (Hungarian)…so many ways to say goodbye…

Well, here comes the last, final, tear-jerking chapter of my story at the World Academy. Although I came here with such low expectations,…my one year here is by far, the best of my short fifteen years. It was a few days before the Sophomore Dance when the Headmaster had sent over some staff members to take most of my stuff from my dorm to sort out all of the crap that would be waiting for me at the airport.

In the meantime, I had just been dreading this day. To think that they're gonna ship me out the day _right after_ the Sophomore Dance, they couldn't give me another day or two to hang out with my friends or any of the sort? It was depressing, to say the least...

Waking up that last morning felt…weird. My dorm room was almost literally empty with most of my luggage already on its way back to New York. Rubbing my eyes and jumping out of my bed, there was no time to waste! Just for old time's sake, I proudly wore my uniform one last time today, seeing how the staff will be pissed if I didn't anyway. On my way out of my dorm room, I also picked up my carry-on backpack for the plane and took one last look at the place. It seems that it looked almost exactly as it was when I first came: …empty, bare,…- Well, I don't need to reminisce on a freaking room for five minutes! Taking the keys with me, I locked the door for 379 for the very last time as I walked down the stairs to the desk in the dorm building lobby.

* * *

"Last day?," the secretary asked me.

"Yep, can you believe it?," I asked, trying to start some small talk.

"Ah, I'm stuck with these nut cases for another two years.," she sighed. "Either way, it was nice having you at the World Academy, and have a safe trip home."

"Thank you, goodbye.," I said, turning to the door. God, I can't believe that my first goodbye was to the freaking secretary, though…

Stretching my arms out as I walked out, I was tackled by Seychelles and the other girls.

"What the-?," I exclaimed, surprised.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe your actually going!," I heard from them.

"Me too!," I replied, on the brink of crying.

We were all on the brink of crying, and the girls didn't give a damn when they started getting hysteric. I mean, it's not everyday that these nations could get so close to an ordinary human, couldn't blame them...

"Do you think we'll ever see each other again?," Seychelles asked as we all were calming down a bit from our cry-fest.

"Listen, I live in New York, maybe I'll drop by the next time there's some World Meeting or something down at the United Nations.," I suggested.

"Yeah!"

"Our bosses will definitely let us see you if we say that there's some meeting!"

I felt great in having found a loophole in trying to see my nation-friends. However, I have to remember that I'm just an ordinary human, what're the chances that their bosses will let me even approach them after I leave the World Academy. However, I had a feeling that fate, despite the bitch that it is, will find a way for us to see each other again, no matter how many years it may take.

Well, enough with that, I owe some goodbyes to quite a lot of people.

* * *

Now how could I forget Toris, Raivis, and Eduard, practically my first three acquaintances/friends at the World Academy? We had crammed for tests and hung out together, I wouldn't mind shedding a couple of tears saying goodbye to them.

"H-Hello?," Toris quietly opened his dorm room door. "Oh, hi!"

"Yeah, hi Toris.," I weakly waved. A prolonged silence hung in the air before I broke it, "Well, I guess this is it, right? I leave, you get to stay at here-"

"Oh, it's been nice knowing you, you know that?," Toris was the first to break down crying, then I followed.

"Thanks...," I said in between sobs. "I'll miss you-"

"We'll all miss you!-"

"Wha-? Why're you two crying?," Eduard stepped out of Toris' room along with Raivis.

"Oh, it's her last day here...," Raivis said in a despondent tone.

"Get over here, you two!," I interjected, bringing Eduard and Raivis into my little cry-and-hug-fest. Luckily, the two were complaint and in seconds we were in a weeping little huddle in the middle of the hallway.

"You'll keep in touch online, won't you?," Eduard managed to say among our collective weeping.

"Sure, anything for you guys.," I said, a sort-of cliche, in-the-moment kind of statement. "I won't be leaving for another few hours, but I wanted to make sure I properly thanked you three, for everything. "

There was no time to dawdle when I haven't even seen three certain you-know-whos...

* * *

Alfred F.-ing Jones...where the frick could that American idiot be? Out of all the days of the school year, he just _had_ to disappear to God-knows-where when I'm _leaving_. As in, like, _for good, too!_ Ugh, I hope that I'll run into him sometime later-

"There you are!," well, here comes a certain nation that I don't have any trouble finding. For once, I actually welcomed Denmark's crushing embrace.

"Hi...!," I managed to choke out.

"Why do you have to gooooooo?," Denmark whined, beginning to tear a little.

"Because...," I started. "...I have to return to the malicious hierarchy of an American high school, what else?"

"But you can't leave your King-"

"O.K., you keep calling yourself the 'King,' then what the hell am I?," I retorted.

Looking down at me, he merely blinked for a moment before saying cheerfully, "Well, just what sort of King would I be without a Queen?"

Alright, now just how could my face _not_ turn bright red like a tomato? I couldn't tell if my emotions were flattered, embarrassed, or whatever... but boy did I feel... happy? Is that the word?

"UHH...," my brain immediately shut down preparing a smart-ass reply.

"I mean, I'm not happy about you leaving me-," O.K., there he goes again about the abandonment thing. Crossing his arms, looking all stern at me, just who does he think he is?

Ready with a cold retort, he stopped my rebuttal in its tracks,"But I know that the chances of you betraying your King are like, a one in a million chance, am I right?"

Sighing, I just said, "Yeah, yeah, whatever- Mmm!"

O.K., what gave this guy the idea of kissing right out in the open campus? Thank God that no one was around for the moment-

"Denmark, stop assaulting the poor girl, I thought we already talked this over.," Norway came in, commanding his fellow nation as usual. Thank God that this guy hung around with Denmark, otherwise no one would be able to restrain him.

"Aw, you guys are no fun.," Denmark let go of me. The rest of the Scandinavian countries that were glaring looks that screamed, "Get a room, you two."

"Seriously, way to embarrass me in front of your friends again, Den-," I shook my head jokingly.

"Wha-? You're so cold and cruel to the very end, you know that?," Denmark whined before whispering, "I like that-"

"Now, whoa, whoa, whoa...," I immediately backed a little away from him. "Let's not get carried away here, O.K.?"

"Say, you're not leaving right now, right?," Tino interrupted, breaking into the conversation.

"Hm? No, the cab coming for me should be here in a few hours, like in the early afternoon.," I replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's nothing.," Tino replied before turning to Berwald saying, "We should get going, Su-san."

"Y's(Yes).," he replied, followed by the other Nordics.

As they walked away, I just couldn't believe how much my outlook on the five of them in such a few short months. All the way back in November-December-ish, I was absolutely terrified to have them catch me on campus. Well, that was because of the whole sleepover crap that one weekend at Hungary's dorm. [insert mental shudder]

* * *

One thing that my classmates back home always used to say about me is that I'm dramatic, so I should be an actress or something of the sort. "No, no, I like music better.," I would say in my defense, despite my rather unknown love of drama and the arts. Who would've known that I could pursue this interest at the World Academy? Needless to say, for me there was drama onstage and 'backstage...' Yeah, mentally perceive that last statement however you may please because I feel that I don't need to explain of what I mean by 'backstage.' Whatever happens backstage, _stays_ backstage...

Walking down the aisle of seats, I approached the empty-looking stage. However, knowing my luck, a certain somebody probably sensed my presence. Climbing onto the stage, I suddenly felt the almost blinding stage lights like they were on the night of the musical. I couldn't believe that I, a mere understudy finally had a foot in the limelight, even if it only was for a few scenes. Now matter how cliche it is, and as much as I hate to say it, my situation was like a real-life experience from _The Phantom of the Opera_. But of course, I couldn't have gotten there alone.

Who would've known that the mysterious brunette with teal eyes that had the male lead actually liked me? Really, it just didn't make any sense to me. From the very beginning, I've nary said a word or even looked in his general direction, yet so much came from just seeing each other from time to time during orchestra/drama rehearsals.

"...I think you're just making this too obvious...," a calm voice came from behind me, making me jump.

"Making what obvious?," I retorted, placing a hand on my hip and flicking a lock of hair behind me.

"...You obviously wanted to see me,... right?," Heracles replied, circling around me.

"As much as I had to admit it, yes.," I laughed a little.

"You're so... stubborn at times... you know that?," Heracles asked.

"Stubborn? What do you mean?," I demanded.

"...In the words of your friends... you've been acting like... 'Ms. I-don't-need-a-relationship-to-be-happy?,'" he chuckled at my little nickname. "...Yet, look at what's happened... nonetheless."

Ugh, I mean, Heracles did have a point. "O.K., I'll admit my denial!~," I rose my hands, as if in defeat. "Happy now?-"

"I won't be... until...," once again, Heracles never fails to catch me by surprise. My hands raised in the air, he entwined his hands in mine and I was stuck. Without protest, I took the initiative in kissing him first.

"O.K., now we're even.," I said.

"What do you mean... 'even?'...," he asked innocently.

"Oh, c'mon, how about cornering me in an ally in the rain a while back?," I retorted. "Did you think that I'll keep letting you have your way?"

"...Well that's just what I like about you best...," he said, leaning in closer. "...I don't mind you just being a little..._feisty-"_

"Oh, shut up.," my cheeks remained a pinkish tint, much to his enjoyment.

However, I was done fooling around onstage, there were still plenty more people to bid farewell.

* * *

Now how could I forget the so-called Axis Powers? Italy, Japan, and Germany were there since the very beginning, my first day nonetheless! Not only that, we were in the same homeroom. Being homeroom buddies had to count for something.

"Ve!~," Feliciano cried. "I don't want you to gooooooo!"

"I don't want to go, either Feliciano, but I have to...," I whined in the grip of his lethally tight hug.

"Feliciano, the least that you could do for her is to release her right now!," Ludwig reprimanded him for practically hugging the life out of me, as always.

"I believe you should do that soon, she looks like she's getting paler by the second from your hug...," Kiku added.

"Sorry, Jackie...," Feliciano released me, still sniffling. "I'll never forget how you helped me in gym class, then came with me to get some PASTA!~"

"Oh, it wasn't all me. It was you that ran that day and passed P.E. for the semester.," I laughed, remembering the physical exam we had in track and field... and how I was chased by a multitude of campus bees. [insert mental shudder]

"Um, Mei and I would like to thank you for... your efforts to help us.," Kiku shyly said. "I would even say that we're both happier than when we were the year before you came."

"Hm? Oh! I could tell that Mei was sooooo into you since the beginning, you two were meant for each other, I didn't set you up.," I said. O.K., maybe that was a bit of a lie... I practically put poor Mei up to the challenge of dating Kiku again. But, all is well that ends well, right?

Ludwig cleared his throat, obviously making the point that he wanted a chance to speak.

"You've certainly been good company to us... and we're going to miss you-," Ludwig began.

"Of course you'll miss her too!~," Feliciano interrupted. "She's the first girl that you've ever kis-"

"What did you say?," Ludwig immediately got poor Feliciano in a headlock, trying to prevent the Italian from even uttering a syllable.

Wait, since when did _he_ kiss_ me?_ Oh, there was that hilarious sleepover at Hungary's dorm when I invented "Truth or Seven Minutes in Hell" or something of the sort. It was fun, I had to admit, and he did kiss me even if it was only on the cheeks. Sorry, but to me, cheek kisses don't count.

* * *

Walking towards the campus gates, I had received word that my cab is a few minutes away, and ran into Arthur. Yeah, the dude that nearly killed me with his cooking. Peanut butter scones, who would've thought?

"Well, well, well... I guess it's come down to this.," Arthur greeted me sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah, I know.," I replied. "I gotta get my ass outta here anyway-"

"Wait!," Arthur interjected. "Before you go, I'd like to thank you one last time."

Hm? Sounds interesting.

"Alright, spit it out, Iggy. I'm all ears."

"First, thank you for helping me confess to Seychelles, even if that frog still has her under his arm-"

"Don't worry, Iggy.," I placed a hand on his shoulder. "There are plenty of fish in the sea, and who knows? Maybe she'll come to her senses and realize her feelings for a certain English gentleman."

"W-Why I-!," Arthur interrupted in shock, trying to conceal his blush. "Um, perhaps... But, I'd also like to apologize for nearly killing you, that must've been-"

"Relax, it's all cool.," I casually replied. "Besides, I liked them anyway. They were literally worth 'dying for.'"

We both laughed at my terrible pun, still walking towards the campus gates when I saw a small crowd of my closest friends here at the World Academy. Well, at least all except one...

"OH. MY. GOD.," I was in awe of how many of the student faculty had shown up to bid me a final farewell. "You all, really, shouldn't have!"

"No, we should!," Erin came running up and hugged me tight. "I owe it to you that Alfred and I even hooked up!"

"Alfred, speaking of Alfred, where is he?," I demanded to know, but then I was swarmed with several of my fellow students. I was so caught up in my swarm of friends and acquaintances that I didn't even notice the cab pulling up to the gates.

"Goodbye everyone!," I stuck my torso out the window and watched as the World Academy disappeared into the horizon.

* * *

At the airport, I was a nervous wreck. Not only did I not want to go back to New York, I didn't want to go back without even saying good-bye to Alfred.

"Flight 246: Non-stop to New York, now boarding.," the intercom proclaimed.

Ugh, 246 is my flight, too. Why couldn't they just wait a little longer? Maybe he just slept in? Getting me a gift and there was traffic coming back from the mall? Just what was going on?

Reluctantly getting up from my seat at the gate, I dragged my mopey self over to Gate 01 where Flight 246 was docked and ready to fly me back to my misery. In line with a bunch of unpleasant people: a complaining old couple, parents with a crying baby, and some fat dude in front of me... it seems that boarding is going to take a while...

Fifteen minutes later, the fat dude finally walked down the pathway leading to the plane.

"Your boarding pass and passport please, Ma'am.," the flight attendant said.

I reached into my carry-on bag to bring out the necessary paperwork when-

"WAAAAAAAIIIIIIITTTTT!"

"What the hell?," I turned around, and there he was: Alfred F. Jones...running... and being chased by airport security. "ALFRED!"

I literally dropped everything and ran to my 'hero,' who was carrying a bouquet of flowers. "What're you doing here?"

Panting, Alfred said to me, "I came as fast as I can. I was looking for a going-away present, and I wanted to get you flowers!"

He handed over the bouquet of assorted flowers: roses, lilies, carnations, even a sunflower.

"I couldn't tell which one you'd like best, so I got one of each!," he proclaimed proudly.

"Thanks...," I replied, tears welling up in my eyes. "This is a great gift, Alfred..." I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. It's my turn to give the lethal, crushing hug this time.

"I'm glad you like it.," Alfred smiled, then turned to the line at the gate that I had left. "You've gotta go now, right?" His smile ran away from his face.

Gripping my bouquet, I sadly nodded.

"Miss, I'm sorry, but we can't let you bring those on the plane.," the panting security guards had finally caught up to me.

"They're just flowers!," I retorted. "It's not like someone would put a bomb in a flower!"

Some passing by spectators backed me up on that point, embarrassing airport security, making them retreat to their posts in shame.

"Hmph!," I scoffed. "To think that flowers are considered dangerous in an airport..."

"Yeah, it's a shame alright.," Alfred replied.

"So... I guess this is good-bye?," he looked at me with his once cheery, bright blue eyes, now filled with unshed tears.

"Yeah, I guess so.," I said, letting my tears flow first, embracing him again.

We received a couple of "aws" from some sick bystanders. Just who do they think they are, anyway? Gawking at two friends that'll soon be separated? For shame...

"Jack...," Alfred held down my shoulders, making me look at him straight in the eye. "I'll find a way, no matter what it takes, to make sure that your HERO can see you again, O.K.?" His eyes were still wet with tears as he made that bold proclamation.

"And I'll be waiting."


	22. Epilogue

_A Year at the World Academy…_

**Epilogue:**

I was just thinking…to the nations, 50 years is like nothing, so I wondered what they thought of 10. Maybe 10 years only felt like six months to them, seeing how old most of them are. My guess, a couple of _centuries._ Yeah, call this cliché or whatever, but let's fast forward my life 10 years since my "year at the World Academy."

I decided to stay close to home in New York, settling in somewhere in midtown Manhattan. I haven't spoken to my parents in years since I chose to pursue a field of study that... wasn't to their liking. Yeah, they had expected me to apply to some business or med school, but I chose a path leaning towards music, linguistics, and the fine arts. Without a doubt, they were pissed. But, life was alright…Manhattan is probably one of the best cities in the world for musicians to find a job, so employment was the least of my worries at the moment.

Anyway, I was walking back home from work when I suddenly remembered that it was mail day! Coming into the lobby, I headed towards the small mailboxes and took out my key. The mailman apparently beat me here, so I just asked for my mail, sparing him some trouble.

"Um, here you go, Miss.," he handed a small pile of papers.

"Thank you…," I started and then paused, glancing at his nametag. "…Phil."

With a small wave, he left to continue his rounds for this block.

Taking the (SUPER SLOW) elevator to my apartment, I decided to scan through the people who were sending me this junk.

Bills, junk, junk, junk-oh coupons! Junk, junk, Reader's Digest, junk, junk-

Oh, what do we have here?

Running out of the elevator like a lunatic, my fingers stumbled trying to unlock my apartment door. Once inside, I tore open this letter that was sent from, you guessed it, The World Academy. Breathless, I skipped the whole, _"Dear Alumni of the World Academy,"_ crap and got to the whole who, what, when, where, and why stuff.

"_This reunion will take place at the World Academy itself on September 8, 2020. Staff will be present to help direct you around campus. It is optional whether if you wish to wear your uniform and formal attire is accepted. Photo identification will be needed at your arrival."_

Really, was the Headmaster shitting me? I am technically an alumnus of the World Academy but, would me friends really recognize me?

…

Only one way to find out.

* * *

I grabbed the first flight out of JFK International for this reunion, so it had better be worth it! The plane didn't even take off yet and I was already nervous! Ugh…what if I'll run into Alfred? Or Denmark? Or Greece? Gosh, this is going to be beyond awkward…, I thought to myself before falling asleep 30,000 feet in the air.

The next morning I arrived at the airport. Boy, the city hasn't changed a bit since I left! I caught a taxi to the hotel I was staying at and decided to go out on the town before getting ready for the huge reunion tomorrow.

My first stop was that park that I had spent Christmas Break with Denmark roughly ten years ago. I could just feel the cold air in my face and hear the crunch of the snow again…I wonder how he was doing now? Continuing my trip down memory lane, I took a taxi to the outskirts of the city and back to that summit where Alfred and I first went. I made sure to get there before sunset to experience the full nostalgic potential of the moment. Looking over to the darkening horizon and the bustling city, I felt a rush of emotions in my head, I got chills just from thinking about it. Staying up there for another moment or two, I retreated back to the bustling city. I had to look decent for this reunion, who knows when I'll ever even see them again?

* * *

"Welcome back to the World Academy!," I walked through the gates as I had the guards confirm that I'm a former student.

"Thanks!," I took back my I.D. and headed towards the main lobby.

Walking in, it was as huge and grand as it was when I had first walked in, and fate kept the nostalgia going as Toris came running up to me.

"Wha-? Is that you, Jacqueline?," he came up to me, shocked.

"Yep, Toris. Look, I'm actually wearing heels now!," I showed off my black heels.

"It's been so long, and you look so…"

"Old? Pfft, I know.," I replied, fixing my glasses.

"Have you seen Al-," Toris said before I cut him off.

"Sh! HE can't know I'm here, I'll talk to him myself, O.K.?," I said in a softer voice. "Now how's it going with Natalia?"

"It's…alright, oh, here she comes!," Toris immediately perked up as he saw a certain Belarussian walk over.

"Oh, hello. It's been a while, …Jacqueline?," Natalia said.

"It certainly has, Natalia.," I replied, only then for Elizaveta, Seychelles, and the other girls come over in a stampede. "What the-?"

"Oh my gosh, I've missed you so much!," I heard their voices clammoring over each other's.

"I know, right?," I couldn't help but smile, I had to admit…I missed hugs like this!

We caught up with each other's lives for a bit before they moved on to stampede-hug some other poor soul.

In the meantime, I owed someone a long talk for the longest time…

* * *

Age was starting to catch up with the theater as I saw the slowly deteriorating seats and carpet on the side. They were almost unnoticable at the moment, but the school had to eventually renovate it-

"Hey…," a familiar voice came from the stage.

I smiled. Who else would be lounging around the theater other than Heracles?

"Long time no see.," I replied.

"Same here."

"So…this place brings back a lot of memories, doesn't it?," I looked sadly upon the stage where my younger self had sung her heart out, then at the orchestra pit below. I could still hear Roderich reprimanding us about phrasing, dynamics, or some other musical aspect.

"You weren't always so down like this back then…did you not want to see me?," he asked.

"No, it's not like that…it's just…I can't believe how much I actually miss this stage…"

…

"…and how much _I've_ missed _you_."

Yet another awkward silence followed, the tension was killing me! God, maybe I shouldn't have been so blunt on that last statement and-

"...Don't worry... I have, too.," Heracles sat next to me on the stage's end.

"Ha, this is so much like drama rehearsal, isn't it?," I chuckled at the nostalgic thought. "Me being the social outcast I am, kicking my feet off the stage's edge, then you walk on over and-"

"...And what?," he asked.

"Well, you often surprised me.," I replied.

"...Oh... you mean, like this?," two arms immediately wrapped around my waist before I squealed in surprise. Oh dear, this was embarrassing... "...Hm... you're even tinier than before..."

"Are you implying that I was _fat_ before?," I retorted, immediately making Heracles pale at the thought of me actually getting angry.

"...No, of course not-"

"Then what was that pause for?"

Another pause.

"...You know I always... talk like this-"

"I'm only kidding.," I chuckled. "Anyway, I came to talk about... a more serious matter."

He let go of me, "...Sure... what is it?"

"It's been ten years, and we've changed a lot... I've been thinking, you're a nation, and you're hardly ever going to age. As for myself, Ill age, wither, and die-"

"...Don't say that...," Heracles interrupted. "...I'm aware that mortality is part of life... but I don't want to envision it happening to you..."

"That's nice to say, but it is the sad reality of it all.," I said. "However, I do really like you,... and I'd like to know you better and all but- ...Gosh, I really can't find the words to explain it all and-"

"...Maybe, you shouldn't say anything at all.," he interrupted.

"I mean, the very thought of a nation and a regular human knowing each other this well... isn't that... just dangerous?," I asked. "Certainly, I bet that you've gotten with ordinary people like me, and it's hard to see us go-"

"You may be a mortal...," O.K., there he goes, interrupting me again. "...But you're always a goddess in my eyes."

…

"Did it take you ten years to come up with that pick-up line?," I tried to refrain from turning cherry blossom pink again.

"...No... Well, maybe...," Heracles replied. "I would've told you sooner if you weren't running all over the place, as usual."

"Well, that's just how I am: I keep going until I crash into something!-"

"Or, someone."

"That too... But perhaps fate will allow me to eventually crash into you again someday.," I sighed, ready to take my leave.

"...I believe it will, too.," he gave me a final peck on the lips before I ran off again through the halls of the World Academy.

* * *

Now out of all the students to run into at the physical education building (the pool, for crying out loud!), it had to be practically all of Scandinavia! I mean, a bunch of people had run off to the numerous P.E. rooms to find more space, but did they have to meet me at the site of my near-drowning experience? Ah, fate... you're rather bitchy to me, even now.

"HEY GUYS! I THINK I FOUND HER!," aw, crap. I just knew that it was Denmark.

I immediately started walking in the other direction.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Crap, crap, crap... Gotta run, gotta run, gotta- Ouch! O.K., maybe not in heels...

"Why are you running?"

"Um, excuse me, but do I know you?," I continued to try and make my escape, still glancing over my shoulder.

"Hmph, you're not getting away from me, this time!," oh boy does that sound promising.

"Aw, crap!," I readied myself to sprint, but not fast enough before Denmark glomped me onto the floor. "Ugh..."

"See! Ha! I've got you now!," God, Jesus, how does Denmark manage to still have a killer grip?

"Ten years later, and you still treat her like this?," Norway had finally caught up to his spontaneous, so-called, friend.

"Yeah, she's already embarrassed at the fact that you chased her. Glomping kind of only made it worse.," Tino, followed by the other Nordics, added.

"Oh, c'mooon! I came all this way just to see if she would show up! Shouldn't I have the right to have her all to myself?-"

"Excuse me, but I'm right here!," I retorted. "If I let you have your way with me, I probably would suffocate and die-"

"Please don't talk about death! I'm not losing you again!~," my additional statement only made him crush me even more.

"I'm not dying, so stop crushing me!," I said.

"I have to admit, you two are rather cute, even though you are just an ordinary human-," Tino laughed a little.

"Ordinary?," I exclaimed.

"There's nothin' ordinary about her!," Denmark retorted. "What other girl could drown in the school pool in less than thirty seconds?"

"Alright, shut up about that already!," I exclaimed again, still ashamed that I had nearly drowned in a school pool.

"Both of you need to shut up.," Iceland finally entered the conversation, providing the retort to Denmark's statement, rather than his brother Norway.

We both did, and Denmark had finally released me from his lethally tight glomp-hug.

"I mean, I know she's a human and all, but that's alright.," Denmark said. "Even though I know that I'm going to lose her someday-"

"Lose me? I'm not dying, O.K.!," I interrupted.

"But, that just means I'll have to hang onto her even tighter while she's still around!," he continued with a smile, and tousled my hair.

"Oh my gosh... that is the most mature string of words that I've ever hear come out of your mouth...," I replied, aghast. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Wha? You're meaning saying 'I love you' wasn't the most mature thing I've said to you?"

"Anyone can say that!," I argued, trying to refrain from laughing.

But, as much as I hated to admit it, Denmark perhaps matured a little... I mean, I hope so-

"O.K., before you go: group hug!~"

I guess I thought wrong, as always.

* * *

Continuing my round about the campus, I still had one last nation to confront. Yep, you guessed it: Alfred. Really, the thought of talking back to my own country was just... awkward, but I had to at least say something to him. It's been ten years, we're mature adults now, this shouldn't be any different-

"Oh my God, there you are!," I was greeted immediately with a hug, this was becoming of the norm for me.

I was immediately greeted by Erin O'Bride. Ugh, knowing that she is Alfred's girlfriend made me feel even more guilty about talking to him!

"Hi, Erin!," I replied, hugging her back. "So, how's life?"

"Ah, all's good.," Erin replied. "My God, you look great! So professional in your high heels~"

"Ugh, I thought that I should at least try them.," I shrugged. "So, how're you and Alfred?"

"Well, we're not together anymore, that's for sure-"

"WHAT? HOW?," I exclaimed.

"I mean, after we graduated, things didn't seem to work out with him being all busy with the rest of the world's business...," Erin explained. "Besides, remember Gilbert Beilschmidt?"

"Oh. My. God. ...You don't mean you're-"

"Yeah, he's a retired nation and all, but he's alright. A little rambunctious, but that's because he's "AWESOME.,"" Erin giggled. "But, Alfred and I are still on good terms with each other-"

"Erin, I've got something to say, and I don't blame you if you end up hating me for this-," I started.

"What? Why would I hate you?," Erin asked, concerned.

"The truth of the matter is-"

"What? Spit it out!"

"I... I like Alfred.," I said, plain and flat out.

"Sure, I like Alfred as a friend, too-"

"I mean, not just as a friend, and I know that it may be awkward because you're his girlfriend-"

"_EX_-girlfriend.," Erin corrected me.

"Excuse me, ex-girlfriend, and he is my own nation... it just seems so wrong I-"

"Don't worry, no hard feelings.," Erin reassure me, putting a hand on my shaking shoulder. "Besides... I've always had the notion that you have."

"Really?," I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, really."

"Do you know where he is?"

"He was just behind me, talking to that jerk Iggy or something.," Erin pointed behind her.

"Well, thanks again Erin.," I said with sincere gratitude. "I mean, this isn't awkward for you at all?"

"No!," Erin said, pushing me in Alfred's direction. "Now go take your own advice and go claim your guy~"

"I think I said 'claim your man-'"

"Whatever!~," Erin retorted.

Standing in the middle of the path, I saw Alfred talking to Arthur. O.K., calm the frick down, it's just Alfred-

Aw, who am I kidding? How could I dare show my face around here again, anyway?- That's enough! I'm going to walk up to him and say-

"Alfred F. Jones, where the hell have you been!," I ran over to where he and Arthur were, heels and all.

For once, it was me that surprised him with a hug, and damn is he surprised.

"Jack?," he looked at me in disbelief. "You look... older-" SMACK. "Hey what was that for?," Alfred rubbed his reddened left cheek.

"Aw quit bein' a baby, you deserved that for calling me old!," I retorted. "Well, I just didnt' come to interrupt you and Iggy's little conversation."

"Ahem! I'm right here!," Arthur said. "Hmph, it was somewhat pleasant talking to you Alfred... Oh, and hello again Ms. Rae-"

"Please, enough with the formalities.," I replied to Arthur. "Well the thing is, I've got something to tell you-"

"Me, too!," Alfred replied excitedly.

"I-!," we began in unison.

"No, you first.," Alfred said.

"O.K. …," I emptied my head, cleared out my mind, took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say-"

"I really like you!," Alfred blurted, before covering his own mouth in shame. "Aw, I'm sorry for interrupting you I-"

"How about I said that I really liked you too?-"

"Hell yeah! I _knew_ that you would eventually come to your senses!," Alfred practically crushed me in one of his hugs again before kissing me.

We were so caught up in the moment that Arthur's reprimanding Alfred and I on proper decorum on public actions of affection just seemed to fade away.

I knew that it was awkward to be this close to living, breathing nations... but I knew that at the very least that I've touched their lives, as much as they have for mine. As much as I hate to say it, but I guess it's about time to call it-

_The End._

**Some Closing Author's Notes:**

**Well, I'm glad that you've made it this far in "A Year at the World Academy. Unfortunately, as Jackie said right there, it is The End. But if you want to read more of her sarcastic mishaps, I plan to have another Hetalia fanfic about it, but it won't have anything to do with the World Academy.**

**However, I would like to thank all of the readers that have braved through this story that I consider to just be a collection of my random ramblings about a dream. You see, the idea of this fanfic, as unreal as it seems, came to me in a dream. I saw it all: the grand building, the nations actually talking to me, I thought, "Why not make a fanfic on it?" So, I did, as you can clearly see. **

**So, thank you again for reading "A Year at the World Academy!"**

**~*Nagareboshi-Aitoshuu**


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